| 弹指之间 |
tán zhǐ zhī jiān |
(idiom) in a flash; instantly |
| 弹 |
dàn |
crossball / bullet / shot / shell / ball |
| 弹 |
tán |
to pluck (a string) / to play (a string instrument) / to spring or leap / to shoot (e.g. with a catapult) / (of cotton) to fluff or tease / to flick / to flip / to accuse / to impeach / elastic (of materials) |
| 弹指 |
tán zhǐ |
to snap one's fingers / (fig.) in a flash; in an instant |
| 指 |
zhǐ |
finger / to point at or to / to indicate or refer to / to depend on / to count on / (of hair) to stand on end |
| 之 |
zhī |
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的) / him / her / it |
| 之间 |
zhī jiān |
(after a noun) between; among; amid / (used after certain bisyllabic words to form expressions indicating a short period of time, e.g. 弹指之间) |
| 间 |
jiān |
between / among / within a definite time or space / room / section of a room or lateral space between two pairs of pillars / classifier for rooms |
| 间 |
jiàn |
gap / to separate / to thin out (seedlings) / to sow discontent |