DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

彈指之間

简弹指之间 · 繁彈指之間

Mandarin · pinyin tán zhǐ zhī jiān

(idiom) in a flash; instantly

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

彈: Look up this written character
指: zhǐ · finger, toe; point, indicate
之: zhī · marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; go to
間: Look up this written character
弹: dàn · pellet, bullet, shot, shell
间: jiān · midpoint, space; place, locality

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

2–3–1–1 · tan2 zhi3 zhi1 jian1

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

彈指之間 · find source passages ↗ · 弹指之间 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Rime

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

taan4 zi2 zi1 gaan1

Cantonese word readings for 彈指之間. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack