Definition
一时 (yī shí) has two senses: a noun meaning 'a period of time, a while', and an adverb meaning 'temporarily, for the moment'. As an adverb, it differs from 暂 (zàn) and 暂且 (zàn qiě): 一时 emphasizes a brief, often unplanned moment, while 暂/暂且 focus on a temporary state that will change.
noun
a period of timea while
adverb
for a short whiletemporarilymomentarily
Easily confused
- 意识yì shísound-alike(noun) consciousness; awareness
- 仪式yí shìsound-alikeceremony
- 遗失yí shīsound-aliketo lose (something); to leave behind inadvertently
Examples
- 一时，。yī shí zhī jiān, tā zuò chū le yí gè zhòngyào de juédìng.In a short while, he made an important decision.
- 一时。Wǒ yī shí xiǎng bù qǐ tā de míngzì le.I can't recall his name for the moment.
- 一时，。Tā yī shí chōngdòng, zuò cuò le shì.He did something wrong in a moment of impulsiveness.
Grammar
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