顿时 dùnshí immediately
immediately; suddenly
How to remember 顿时: 顿 measure word for meals + 时 time = immediately.
Characters
How it is used
- At once, all of a sudden (of a reaction) - 顿时安静下来 (dùnshí ānjìng xiàlái) fell silent instantly, 顿时明白了 (dùnshí míngbái le) suddenly understood.
- A written-register adverb describing an immediate change/reaction right after an event; used for past narration.
- Vs 立刻/马上 (which prompt an action): 顿时 describes a spontaneous change, not a command to act now.
Example sentences
- 当我第一次回波士顿时，我真是孤独。 Dāng wǒ dìyīcì huí bōshìdùn shí, wǒ zhēnshì gūdú.When I first came back to Boston, I was really lonely.