瞬 shùn to blink
to blink; to wink
How to remember 瞬: 目 eye + 舜 wise king = to blink. Dust flies into the eye of the boy playing the wise king in the school play, and he has to blink through his whole speech.
Component breakdown
瞬 = 目 eye + 舜 wise king
- 目 eye
- 舜 wise king
Dust flies into the eye of the boy playing the wise king in the school play, and he has to blink through his whole speech.
How it is used
- A blink/instant - 瞬间 (shùnjiān) in an instant, 一瞬间 in the blink of an eye.
- Emphasizes extreme brevity: 转瞬即逝 (zhuǎnshùn-jíshì) gone in a flash.
- 瞬 originally 'to blink,' extended to the tiny span of a blink.
- 瞬息万变 (shùnxī-wànbiàn) = changing rapidly from moment to moment.