dat6 jin4 zi1 gaan1突然之間突然之间

Jyutpingdat6 jin4 zi1 gaan1

Yaledaht yìhn jī gāan

Definition

Suddenly; all of a sudden; abruptly.

colloquialtimedescriptions

How it's used

This phrase is used to emphasize the unexpected nature of an event. It adds a sense of drama or surprise that a simple 突然 might lack. It is very common in storytelling or when recounting a personal experience to highlight a sharp shift in circumstances.

Examples

dat6突jin4然zi1之gaan1間lok6落daai6大jyu5雨，ngo5我mou5冇daai3帶ze1遮aa4呀。

It suddenly started raining heavily, and I didn't bring an umbrella.

nei5你zou6做me1咩dat6突jin4然zi1之gaan1間m4唔ceot1出seng1聲㗎？

Why did you suddenly go quiet?

Common phrases

dat6突jin4然zi1之gaan1間faat3發sang1生

happen suddenly

dat6突jin4然zi1之gaan1間bin3變zo2咗

suddenly changed

Common mistake

Learners often use this phrase as a direct translation for the English adverb suddenly, but it is more emphatic and slightly more formal than just using 突然. In very casual, rapid speech, people often drop the 之間 and just use 突然 to keep the sentence flow efficient.