刹那 chànà an instant (Sanskrit: ksana)
an instant (Sanskrit: ksana); split second; the twinkling of an eye
How to remember 刹那: 刹 temple + 那 that = an instant (Sanskrit: ksana).
Characters
How it is used
- A vivid, literary word for an instant - 刹那间他明白了 (chànà jiān tā míngbaile) in an instant he understood.
- Register is higher and more dramatic than plain 一下子 or 一瞬间; common in narration and lyrics.
- Note reading: here 刹 = chà, not shā (刹车 shāchē, brakes); watch the tone/reading in this compound.