zaam2 haa5 ngaan5眨吓眼
Jyutpingzaam2 haa5 ngaan5
Yalejáam háh ngáahn
Definition
In the blink of an eye; in a very short time.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Focuses on the rapid, almost imperceptible passage of time rather than a literal physical blink. It is frequently used to express surprise or nostalgia about how quickly children grow up or how fast a vacation or project concludes.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe literal physical blinking, for which the simple verb 眨眼 is used. This specific form is strictly reserved for temporal expressions indicating speed.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
