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瞬息万变 (shùn xī wàn biàn) — changing rapidly from moment to moment; in a constant state of flux

Definition

A written idiom for things that change extremely quickly — in the blink of an eye, countless shifts. Formal/literary register, used for markets, technology, or the wider world, not casual conversation.

idiom
changing rapidly from moment to momentin a constant state of flux

Examples

  • 瞬息万变，。
    Shì chǎng háng qíng shùn xī wàn biàn, tóu zī zhě bì xū shí kè guān zhù.
    Market conditions change rapidly; investors must keep a constant watch.
  • 瞬息万变，。
    Guó jì xíng shì shùn xī wàn biàn, wǒ men xū yào líng huó yìng duì.
    The international situation is changing rapidly; we need to respond flexibly.
  • 瞬息万变，。
    Kē jì fā zhǎn shùn xī wàn biàn, zuó tiān de jì shù jīn tiān kě néng jiù guò shí le.
    Technology develops rapidly; yesterday's technology may be outdated today.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

瞬息moment
瞬shùnblink息xībreath
联合Coordinate
万变many changes
万wànten thousand变biànchange
偏正Modifier + head

瞬 and 息 name a blink and a breath, while 万 and 变 give many changes, meaning change in a moment.

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
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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 息, 自 is nose and 心 is heart, showing breath or life passing through one's nose.

Open 息 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 萬; 万 is its simplified writing.

For 万, the form 萬 was originally a picture of a scorpion, later borrowed for its sound to write 'ten thousand'; the scorpion picture is unrelated to that number.

Open 万 →

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 變; 变 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌變biàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 變 uses 䜌 as a sound part and 攴 as a meaning part.

Open 变 →
Appears in
Change & ProcessIdioms & Set Phrases

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