顷

頃

qīng, qǐng

匕 + 页

Definitions

qǐng (noun,adverb) a short while; a little while ago; approximately (for dates)

qǐng (noun) unit of area (= 6.67 hectares)

qīng (verb) to lean; to incline

Etymology

Simplified form of 頃. Depicts a person (匕) with their head (页) tilted or askew. Based on the original meaning "to have an inclined head", now written as 倾. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

About

The character 頃, composed of 匕 on the left and the head radical 頁 on the right, originally conveyed the physical act of tilting or bowing the head. Its meaning later expanded to denote a specific unit of land area equal to one hundred Chinese mu, a measure commonly used in historical records for land distribution and taxation. Additionally, it developed a temporal sense, referring to a brief moment or short while, often used in classical texts to describe something happening quickly or changing rapidly.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

顷刻间，雨就停了。

Qǐngkè jiān, yǔ jiù tíng le.

The rain stopped in an instant.

他刚才还在这里，顷刻便不见了。

Tā gāngcái hái zài zhèlǐ, qǐngkè biàn bújiànle.

He was here just now, but disappeared in a moment.

消息传出，顷刻间引起轰动。

Xiāoxi chuán chū, qǐngkè jiān yǐnqǐ hōngdòng.

The news spread and caused a sensation in an instant.

俄顷，天空乌云密布。

Éqǐng, tiānkōng wūyún mìbù.

Shortly after, the sky became densely overcast with dark clouds.

欢乐的时光，往往在顷刻间流逝。

Huānlè de shíguāng, wǎngwǎng zài qǐngkè jiān liúshì.

Happy times often slip away in an instant.

全球经济格局在近些年间发生了万顷之变。

Quánqiú jīngjì géjú zài jìn xiē nián jiān fāshēngle wàn qǐng zhī biàn.

The global economic landscape has undergone a monumental change in recent years.

内心的平静，岂能因外物干扰而顷刻瓦解？

Nèixīn de píngjìng, qǐ néng yīn wàiwù gānrǎo ér qǐngkè wǎjiě?

How can inner peace collapse in an instant because of external disturbances?

此项政策的深远影响，恐非顷刻所能估量。

Cǐ xiàng zhèngcè de shēnyuǎn yǐngxiǎng, kǒng fēi qǐngkè suǒ néng gūliáng.

The far-reaching impact of this policy is probably impossible to estimate in a short moment.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 匕

Component: 页

顷