Japanese word

一瞬

Pronunciation

Romajiisshun

Meaning

  • adverbfor a moment

Example

電気が一瞬消えました。den ki ga is shun ki e ma shi ta

The lights went out for a moment.

Illustration for 一瞬 (for a moment)

More examples

画面が一瞬明るくなりました。ga men ga is shun aka ru ku na ri ma shi ta

The screen lit up for a moment.

Core concept

Marks an event as lasting for an extremely short span of time, often like a blink.

Common phrases

  • 一瞬だけis shun da ke

    for just a moment

Similar words

ちょっとchotto: For a brief time in casual speech, with the exact length left unstated.
しばらくshibaraku: For a period whose length is not specified and may continue for some time.

Definition in Japanese

ごく短い時間の間だけ。go ku mijika i ji kan no aida da ke

Word origin

一 (ichi, "one") and 瞬 (shun, "blink") combine in 一瞬 (isshun), suggesting the short time of one blink.

Usage tips

  • In English, "for a moment" can also soften a request to wait briefly, as in "Wait for a moment."

Other meanings

  • momentnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word