PrepositionsHSK 5
Opportune timing with 趁
Use 趁 (chèn) to express taking advantage of a favorable situation or opportunity. It is placed before a clause describing the circumstance. A common pitfall is omitting the situation clause, as 趁 must be followed by an opportune condition, not just a time word alone.
Structure
趁 + Situation / Opportunity
The situation clause can be followed by 的时候 to specify the timeframe, but it is not required.
Examples
- 趁打折，我买了新手机。Chèn dǎzhé, wǒ mǎi le xīn shǒujī.Taking advantage of the discount, I bought a new phone.
- 趁现在不忙，你快走吧。Chèn xiànzài bùmáng, nǐ kuài zǒu ba.Go now, while no one is busy.
- 趁年轻，多去玩玩吧。Chèn niánqīng, duō qù wánwan ba.You guys should go have more fun while you're still young.
- 趁天气好，我要去野餐。Chèn tiānqì hǎo, wǒ yào qù yěcān.While the weather is good, I'm going on a picnic.
- 趁孩子睡着的时候，我洗了很多衣服。Chèn háizi shuìzháo de shíhou, wǒ xǐ le hěn duō yīfu.Since the kids had fallen asleep, I washed a bunch of clothes.