Meaning
瞬间 refers to an extremely brief period of time, often so short it's almost imperceptible. It emphasizes the fleeting nature of a moment and is commonly used to describe something that happens very quickly or suddenly. The word carries a sense of immediacy and ephemerality.
Usage
Native speakers use 瞬间 both as a noun meaning 'a moment' and as an adverb meaning 'instantly/in an instant'. It's often used in dramatic or emotional contexts to emphasize how quickly something changed or happened. Common in both spoken and written Chinese, particularly in narrative or descriptive passages.
Examples
- 01那一瞬间，我明白了一切。, .In that instant, I understood everything.
- 02他的表情瞬间变得严肃起来。.His expression instantly became serious.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个瞬间
Common collocations
- 一瞬间in an instant, in a flash
- 瞬间爆发to explode/burst out instantly
- 那一瞬间at that moment
- 瞬间消失to vanish instantly
Antonyms
Origin
瞬 originally referred to the blinking of an eye, one of the quickest human actions. Combined with 间 (interval/space), 瞬间 literally means 'the interval of a blink', conveying extreme brevity.