光阴似箭

光陰似箭
guāngyīn-sìjiàn
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 time flies like an arrow
  2. 2 time passes with dizzying speed
  3. 3 how quickly the years go by

Examples

HSK 4
Bìyè shínián le, zhēnshì guāngyīn-sìjiàn.
It's been ten years since graduation - time really does fly.
HSK 7-9
Guāngyīn-sìjiàn, yīzhuǎnyǎn háizi dōu shàng dàxué le.
Time flies like an arrow - in a blink the kids are already in college.
HSK 7-9
Guāngyīn-sìjiàn, rìyuèrúsuō.
Time flies like an arrow; days and months shuttle by.

Tips

history
From 韦庄’s Tang poem 关河道中: 但见时光流似箭岂知天道曲如弓 ('I see only time streaming past like arrows; who would know heaven's path curves like a bow?'). This later crystallized into the four-character 光阴似箭.

Stroke Order

guāng
yīn
jiàn