Meaning of 一下子
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- once; one time
- (following a verb) for a moment; briefly
- for a little while; in no time; almost immediately
- all at once; all of a sudden
How to use 一下子
As an adverb before a verb, 一下子 means something happened suddenly or all at once, often with 就 or 了. It can also follow a verb to mean doing something briefly. Example: 他一下子就明白了。(Tā yīxiàzi jiù míngbai le.) He understood right away.
一 (yī) means one and 下 (xià) is a count word for a single quick action, like one tap or one hit. 子 (zi) is a light noun ending, so 一下子 is literally one little hit of time: it all happens in a single stroke.
Common mistake: Learners often use 一下子 and 一下 interchangeably. After a verb, 一下 is the normal way to soften a request, as in 等一下 (děng yīxià, wait a moment), and 一下子 there sounds odd. Before a verb meaning suddenly, you need 一下子. Also note that 一 is usually read yí here because it comes before fourth tone 下, and 子 is neutral tone.
一下子 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
一 yī · one · 1 strokes
- 1
下 xià · down · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
子 zi · noun suffix · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 一下子.
| 一起 | yīqǐ | (in) the same place; together; in company (with) |
| 孩子 | háizi | child |
| 一样 | yīyàng | same; like |
| 一些 | yīxiē | some; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er |
| 儿子 | érzi | son |
| 房子 | fángzi | house; building (single- or two-story) |
| 坐下 | zuò xia | to sit down |
| 下次 | xià cì | next time |
| 一会儿 | yīhuìr | a moment; a while |
| 下午 | xiàwǔ | afternoon; p.m. |
| 一半 | yībàn | half |
| 一边 | yībiān | one side; either side |
Questions about 一下子
What does 一下子 mean?
一下子 (yīxiàzi) means "once; one time; (following a verb) for a moment; briefly" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 一下子?
一下子 is made of 3 characters: 一 (1 strokes), 下 (3 strokes), 子 (3 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 一下子 an HSK word?
Yes. 一下子 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 一下子 and 突然 (tūrán)?
Both can mean suddenly, but 一下子 stresses how fast or all at once something happens, often with a big change, like 一下子来了很多人 (a lot of people came all at once). 突然 stresses that it was unexpected, and it can also work as an adjective, as in 很突然 (very sudden).
Is 一下子 formal or casual?
It is common in everyday speech and also appears in ordinary writing such as stories and news. In very formal writing, people may prefer words like 顿时 (dùnshí) or 立刻 (lìkè).