How to Write 瞬 (shùn) — Meaning “a wink; an instant”

Picture the left part 目 as an eye and the right part 舜 as a person quickly turning away (like 'shun' away). Imagine the eye closing and opening so fast that you only see a blur of movement, matching the meaning of 'an instant'.

The left radical 目 should be narrow and tall, not wide. The right side 舜 has many strokes: pay close attention to the bottom part, which is made of 夕, 夕, and 舛; common mistakes include making the right side too wide or misplacing the strokes in the lower portion.

The character 瞬 means 'a blink' or 'an instant,' while 瞈 (wěng) refers to an eye condition like blindness and 瞋 (chēn) means to glare or stare angrily. Visually, 瞬 has the complex right side 舜, whereas 瞈 has 翁 (old man) and 瞋 has 真 (truth) on the right.

This character appears mainly in formal or literary expressions for very short time periods, such as 瞬间 (instant) and 转瞬 (in the blink of an eye). It is not used alone in everyday conversation, but you may see it in idioms or written descriptions of sudden, fleeting moments.

Common words containing 瞬 include: 瞬间 (shùn jiān) — instant; moment; in a flash; 转瞬 (zhuǎn shùn) — In the blink of an eye; 瞬息 (shùn xī) — in the blink of an eye; a very short time.