一
下
子

About

The word "一下子" is formed by combining the character "一" (yī), meaning "one", with "下" (xià), meaning "down" or "under", and adding the suffix "子" (zi), which nominalizes the construction to create a fixed adverb that idiomatically expresses a sudden or brief action, such as "all at once" or "in a short while".

Example Sentences Hide

天气一下子变冷了。

Tiānqì yīxiàzi biàn lěng le.

The weather suddenly turned cold.

我一下子想起了这件事。

Wǒ yīxiàzi xiǎngqǐ le zhè jiàn shì.

I suddenly remembered this matter.

听到消息，他一下子站了起来。

Tīng dào xiāoxi, tā yīxiàzi zhàn le qǐlái.

Upon hearing the news, he suddenly stood up.

整个房间一下子被灯光照亮了。

Zhěnggè fángjiān yīxiàzi bèi dēngguāng zhàoliàng le.

The entire room was suddenly illuminated by the light.

他的情绪一下子从兴奋跌落到失落。

Tā de qíngxù yīxiàzi cóng xīngfèn diēluò dào shīluò.

His mood suddenly plummeted from excitement to disappointment.

Word Definition - 一下子

yī xià zi in a short while; all at once; all of a sudden

Individual Character Details

一 yī
下 xià
子 zǐ, zi