一不留神

yíbùliúshén
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 in a moment of carelessness
  2. 2 not paying attention for a second

Examples

HSK 4
Yíbùliúshén jiù cuòguò le zhàn.
One moment of inattention and I missed my stop.
HSK 5
Wǒ yíbùliúshén bǎ bēizi dǎfān le.
I wasn't paying attention for a second and knocked the cup over.

Tips

grammar
Pattern 一不 + verb means 'at the slightest lapse in [verb]'. Common cousins: 一不小心 (one careless moment), 一不注意 (a second of not noticing). 一不留神 is slightly more literary than 一不小心.

Stroke Order

一 yī
不 bù
留 liú
神 shén