時刻

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 時刻 is a noun for a specific clock time and is read じこく.
• Basic usage: It follows the type of scheduled event in compounds such as 出発時刻 and 集合時刻.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Compound nouns
  • An event such as departure or assembly comes first to form compounds like 出発時刻 and 集合時刻.
• Difference from 時間
  • 時刻 identifies a particular point such as a departure time, while 時間 can denote duration or a span of available time.