How to Write 霎 (shà) — Meaning “A moment; an instant”

Imagine rain (雨) suddenly stopping in an instant (霎). The bottom part 妾 looks like a woman standing, and you can think: "A woman (妾) feels a drop of rain (雨) for just a moment."

The top 雨 is wide and covers the bottom part. The bottom component 妾 has a horizontal stroke (一) that should not be too long, and the vertical strokes must align neatly. A common mistake is making the bottom too narrow or misplacing the dot in 雨.

霎 focuses on a brief moment or instant, while 需 (xū) means "need" or "require" and 霁 (jì) means "clear up after rain." Visually, 需 has 雨 on top with 而 (ér) below, and 霁 has 雨 on top with 齐 (qí) below—both are different structures and meanings.

霎 appears in literary or formal expressions like 霎时 (shà shí, "in an instant") and 霎那 (shà nà, "split second"). It is rarely used alone in daily speech but adds vividness when describing sudden, brief events, such as "霎时间，天空暗了下来" (In an instant, the sky darkened).

Common words containing 霎 include: 霎时 (shà shí) — In an instant; suddenly; 霎那 (shà nà) — Instant; split second; 霎眼 (shà yǎn) — In the blink of an eye.