瞬时

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 焰火在夜空中瞬时绽放。▶ —
   The fireworks burst open in the night sky in an instant.
2. 瞬时速度可以用公式计算。▶ —
   Instantaneous velocity can be calculated with a formula.

Collocations

Mnemonic

瞬 shùn "to blink" + 时 shí "time": the span of a blink, i.e. an instant, a split second. It corresponds to the Korean word sun-si (瞬時), rendered "instant, moment". It names an extremely short time and is used as a noun ("an instant") or modifier ("instantaneous"), as in 瞬时速度 (instantaneous velocity). Unlike 顿时 (the adverb "at once"), 瞬时 names the instant of time itself. 瞬 means "to blink" (瞬间 an instant); 时 means "time".

Related

Quick check

1. How does 瞬时 differ from 顿时?

   • it names the instant of time itself (noun-like)
   • they are identical
   • it refers only to the future
   • it means a long time