转眼间 (zhuǎn yǎn jiān) — (time noun) an extremely short moment; the blin… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Means 'in the blink of an eye' — emphasizes how quickly something happened, in just an instant. Use as a time noun, often at the start of a clause (转眼间，...).

noun

(time noun) an extremely short momentthe blink of an eye

Examples

转眼间，。
Zài zhuǎn yǎn jiān, tā zuò chū le jué dìng.
In the blink of an eye, he made a decision.
转眼间，。
zhuǎn yǎn jiān Hěn duǎn, dàn hěn zhòng yào.
The blink of an eye is very short, but very important.
转眼间。
Tā yòng le zhuǎn yǎn jiān de shí jiān jiù xiě wán le.
He finished writing in just the blink of an eye.

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.

转眼blink

转zhuǎnturn眼yǎneye

动宾Verb + object

The 间 (moment) is as brief as a 转眼 (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.

車專轉

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.

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

目艮眼

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.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in

Time (Abstract)

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