a very brief moment
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
a very short time; an instant (lit. time of one cun of shadow movement)
literaryA classical Chinese term. '阴' here refers to shadow (from a sundial). The time it takes for the shadow to move one 'cun' (about 3.33 cm) is extremely short. Used poetically or in formal writing to emphasize the fleeting nature of time and the need to cherish it.
Gǔ古
rén人
yún云
：
yī一
cùn寸
guāng光
yīn阴
yī一
cùn寸
jīn金
，
cùn寸
jīn金
nán难
mǎi买
cùn寸
guāng光
yīn阴
。
An ancient saying goes: An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, but an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.
Guāng光
yīn阴
rěn荏
rǎn苒
，
cùn寸
yīn阴
shì是
xī惜
，
wǒ我
men们
yào要
zhēn珍
xī惜
qīng青
chūn春
nián年
huá华
。
Time passes swiftly, every moment is to be cherished; we must treasure our youth.
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Tā他
fēn分
miǎo秒
bì必
zhēng争
，
bù不
kěn肯
xū虚
dù度
cùn寸
yīn阴
。
He seizes every minute and second, unwilling to waste even an instant.