旦夕 (dàn xī) — (formal, noun) a short while; a brief moment; (noun) single track (abbreviation of 单轨)

Definition

Literary/formal word for a very short span of time, used almost only in fixed phrases like 危在旦夕 ('in imminent danger') and 旦夕之间 ('in a brief moment'). Not used in everyday spoken Chinese.

noun
(formal, noun) a short whilea brief momentsingle track (abbreviation of 单轨)

Examples

  • ，旦夕。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī jīng yíng bú shàn, dàn xī zhī jiān jiù kě néng dǎo bì.
    This company is poorly managed and may go bankrupt in no time.
  • ，。
    Bìng rén de qíng kuàng wēi zài dàn xī, xū yào lì kè shǒu shù.
    The patient is in critical condition — surgery is needed immediately.
  • 旦夕，。
    Zhè tiáo tiě lù cǎi yòng dàn xī shè jì, ér bú shì shuāng guǐ.
    This railway uses a single-track design rather than double track.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

旦dànmorning
夕xīevening

旦 gives morning and 夕 gives evening, together suggesting a short time.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng旦dàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

旦 combines 日 (sun/day) with 丁 as a sound part; the story about the sun rising over a line is not the original explanation.

Open 旦 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

夕 was drawn as a crescent moon.

Open 夕 →

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