俯仰之間

Chinese

		bending or lifting of the head; simple move or action; instant bending or lifting of the head; simple move or action; instant; twinkling of an eye	between
trad. (俯仰之間)		俯仰	之間
simp. (俯仰之间)		俯仰	之间

Etymology

以大為小，以強為弱，在俯仰之間耳。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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以大为小，以强为弱，在俯仰之间耳。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Han, circa 1^st century CE

Yǐ dà wéi xiǎo, yǐ qiáng wéi ruò, zài fǔyǎngzhījiān ěr. [Pinyin]

It only takes an instant for a big and strong power to turn into a small and weak one.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fǔyǎngzhījiān

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄨˇ ㄧㄤˇ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄢ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): fu² joeng⁵ zi¹ gaan¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fǔyǎngzhījiān [Phonetic: fúyǎngzhījiān]
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄨˇ ㄧㄤˇ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄢ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fǔyǎngjhihjian
    • Wade–Giles: fu³-yang³-chih¹-chien¹
    • Yale: fǔ-yǎng-jr̄-jyān
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fuuyeangjyjian
    • Palladius: фуянчжицзянь (fujančžiczjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ jɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: fu² joeng⁵ zi¹ gaan¹
    • Yale: fú yéuhng jī gāan
    • Cantonese Pinyin: fu² joeng⁵ dzi¹ gaan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: fu² yêng⁵ ji¹ gan¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fuː³⁵ jœːŋ¹³ t͡siː⁵⁵ kaːn⁵⁵/

Idiom

俯仰之間

1. a very short time; human's lifetime