あっと言う間

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Japanese

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FWOTD – 30 December 2016
Kanji in this term
言 間
い
Grade: 2 		ま
Grade: 2
kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
あっという間

Etymology

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Literally, “the time it takes to say 'ah'”.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [a̠t̚to̞ iɯ̟ᵝ ma̠]

Noun

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あっと言(い)う間(ま) • (a' to iu ma) 

  1. blink of an eye, in nothing flat (a very short period of time)
    • 1925, 芥川龍之介, 馬の脚:
      あっと言(い)う間(ま)に俺(おれ)の脚(あし)は梯(はし)子(ご)段(だん)の七(しち)段(だん)目(め)を踏(ふ)み抜(ぬ)いてしまった。
      A' to iu ma ni ore no ashi wa hashigo dan no shichidan-me o fuminuite shimatta.
      In the blink of an eye my foot slipped through the seventh rung of the ladder.

See also

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