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转眼 (zhuǎn yǎn) — (verb) (of time) to pass in an instant; in the blink of an eye; (verb) to glance; to move one's eyes

Definition

A verb meaning time flies — 'in the blink of an eye.' Unlike 瞬间 (a noun for an instant), 转眼 emphasizes how quickly something has already happened. Cf. 一晃, which shares the same sense of swift passage.

verb
(of time) to pass in an instantin the blink of an eyeto glanceto move one's eyes

Examples

  • ，。
    Yì zhuǎn yǎn, hái zi dōu shàng xiǎo xué le.
    In the blink of an eye, the child is already in elementary school.
  • 转眼，。
    Tā zhuǎn yǎn kàn le yí xià chuāng wài, yòu dī tóu kàn shū.
    He glanced out the window and then lowered his head to read.
  • 转眼，。
    zhuǎn yǎn Zhī jiān, zhè zuò chéng shì yǐ jīng huàn rán yì xīn.
    In the blink of an eye, this city has taken on a completely new look.

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
眼yǎneye

转 means turn or move, and 眼 refers to the eye, so the meaning is a quick turn of the eyes.

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
艮
艮gèn眼yǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眼 combines 目, which is an eye, with 艮, which gives the character's sound.

Open 眼 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Time (Abstract)

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.