转眼间

轉眼間
zhuǎnyǎnjiān
adverb #29,909

Meanings

  1. 1 in the blink of an eye
  2. 2 in an instant
  3. 3 before you know it

Examples

HSK 2
转眼间,孩子们都长大了。
Zhuǎnyǎnjiān, háizimen dōu zhǎngdà le.
In the blink of an eye, the children had all grown up.
HSK 4
Zhuǎnyǎnjiān, sān nián guòqù le, tā zhōngyú bìyè le.
Before she knew it, three years had passed and she finally graduated.

Tips

memory
Think of it literally: 转眼 = 'turn eye' (a single eye movement), 间 = 'interval'. Time so short it fits between the turning of an eye - a blink.

Stroke Order

转 zhuǎn
眼 yǎn
间 jiān