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一刹那

一剎那
yīchànà
noun HSK 7-9 #18,654

Meanings

  1. 1 an instant
  2. 2 a split second
  3. 3 a fleeting moment

Characters

一
yī
one
刹
chà
an instant (from Sanskrit)
那
nà
that (phonetic, part of Buddhist term)
刹那 comes from the Sanskrit 'ksana' (क्षण), meaning the shortest unit of time in Buddhist philosophy.

Examples

一刹那间，他做出了决定。
Yīchànà jiān, tā zuòchū le juédìng.
In an instant, he made his decision.
美好的时光一刹那就过去了。
Měihǎo de shíguāng yīchànà jiù guòqù le.
Beautiful moments pass in the blink of an eye.

Tips

history
刹那 is a Buddhist loanword from Sanskrit 'ksana.' In Buddhist texts, one finger snap contains 65 刹那, making it an incredibly brief instant.
usage
Compare with 一瞬间 (also 'an instant'). 一刹那 sounds more literary and dramatic.

Stroke Order

一 yī
刹 shā
那 nà