I had to scramble for three whole seconds to grab this jacket on flash sale.
Tips
culture
限时 = 'time-limited'; 秒杀 literally 'second-kill' — Chinese gamer slang for 'kill in one second' (instantly), repurposed by e-commerce to mean 'sells out in seconds'. Quintessential 双十一 (Double 11) and 618 mechanic. Top items often sell out in single-digit seconds, requiring users to mash refresh — a dedicated sport called 抢购 (qiǎnggòu, 'rush-buy').
usage
秒杀 alone works as both noun and verb: 这款手机被秒杀了 (this phone got snapped up instantly). The 限时 prefix emphasizes the sale window. Compare 限量 (xiànliàng, limited quantity, no time limit).
