转瞬 (zhuǎn shùn) — in an instant; in the blink of an eye; fleeting

Definition

Literary phrase meaning 'in an instant / in the blink of an eye' — used in writing to stress how quickly something passes, often paired with 之间, 即逝, or 间.

verb
in an instantin the blink of an eyefleeting

Examples

  • 转瞬，。
    zhuǎn shùn Zhī jiān, shí nián jiù guò qù le.
    In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed.
  • 。
    Měi hǎo de shí guāng zǒng shì zhuǎn shùn jí shì.
    Happy times are always fleeting — gone in a flash.
  • 转瞬，。
    zhuǎn shùn Jiān, tiān sè jiù àn le xià lái.
    In an instant, the sky darkened.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

转zhuǎnturn
瞬shùneye

转 gives turning and 瞬 gives the eye; together they picture a quick blink.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 轉; 转 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān轉zhuǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 轉 combines 車, a carriage, with 專 as a sound part; the simplified 转 is a later shorthand.

Open 转 →

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
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
舜
舜shùn瞬shùn
Same sound today

瞬 has 目, an eye, next to 舜, which provides the pronunciation.

Open 瞬 →

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