in the blink of an eye; in an instant
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
in a flash; in an instant
literaryA literary idiom used to describe events that happen extremely quickly, emphasizing the fleeting nature of time. It originates from classical Chinese.
Fǔ俯
yǎng仰
zhī之
jiān间
，
chuán船
yǐ已
shǐ驶
chū出
gǎng港
kǒu口
。
In the blink of an eye, the ship had already sailed out of the harbor.
Shì世
shì事
biàn变
qiān迁
，
fǔ俯
yǎng仰
zhī之
jiān间
，
cāng沧
hǎi海
yǐ已
chéng成
sāng桑
tián田
。
The world changes rapidly; in an instant, the blue sea has turned into mulberry fields.
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Gāng刚
cái才
hái还
qíng晴
kōng空
wàn万
lǐ里
，
fǔ俯
yǎng仰
zhī之
jiān间
，
yǐ已
shì是
wū乌
yún云
mì密
bù布
。
A moment ago, the sky was clear, but in the blink of an eye, it was covered with dark clouds.
Yīng英
xióng雄
de的
zhuàng壮
jǔ举
，
fǔ俯
yǎng仰
zhī之
jiān间
biàn便
jué决
dìng定
le了
zhàn战
chǎng场
de的
shèng胜
fù负
。
The hero's brave act determined the outcome of the battle in an instant.