转眼 zhuǎnyǎn in a flash
in a flash; in the blink of an eye; to glance
How to remember 转眼: 转 to turn + 眼 eye = in a flash.
Characters
How it is used
- In the blink of an eye - how fast time passes - 转眼又是一年 (zhuǎnyǎn yòu shì yì nián) before you know it, another year has gone by.
- Usually adverbial about elapsed time (转眼间 in a flash); expresses surprise at how quickly something happened.
- Set expression; don't read it literally as "turn the eye." Similar to 一眨眼 (yì zhǎyǎn), both stress startling speed.
Example sentences
- 他一转眼就跑了。 Tā yīzhuǎnyǎn jiù pǎo le.He left in the blink of an eye.