Definition
顺势 means 'taking advantage of the situation' — it emphasizes seizing an existing opportunity or following the natural course of events, often with a strategic or opportunistic tone. 趁机 (chèn jī) is a near-synonym but focuses more on 'seizing a specific moment or chance', while 顺便/随手/顺路 are about doing something conveniently as a side effect of another action, not about exploiting a situation.
adverb
taking advantage of the situationby following the natural courseconvenientlyin passing (as a side effect of an existing action)
Examples
- 顺势。Tā shùn shì bǎ mén guān shàng le.He took the opportunity (while passing) to close the door.
- 顺势。Nǐ shùn shì bāng wǒ wènwen Xiǎo Wáng shénme shíhou huí lái.Since you're asking, just ask Xiao Wang when he'll come back.
- 顺势。Wǒmen shùn shì tǎolùn yíxià zhège fāng'àn.We'll discuss this plan while we're at it (taking advantage of the current meeting).
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