How to say “a while” in Chinese
a while; a burst (fit)
“A while” in Chinese is 一阵, yí zhèn: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
一阵 is read yí zhèn: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Before a measure word its tone changes: yí before a fourth tone, yì before the others. In numbers and dates it stays yī.
On the right, 车 “war chariot”: troops in formation. A measure word for things that sweep in and pass: rain, wind, laughter.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “一阵”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 一阵. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 突然下了一阵暴雨。tūránxiàleyízhènbàoyǔSuddenly it started pouring.
- 刚才刮了一阵大风gāngcáiguāleyízhèndàfēngA strong gust of wind just blew through.
More words from the lesson “This minute and these days”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “a while” in Chinese?
“A while” in Chinese is 一阵, pinyin yízhèn.
What does 一阵 mean?
一阵 (yízhèn) means “a while; a burst (fit)”.
How do you write 一阵?
一阵 is 2 characters: 一 (yī) — one; 阵 (zhèn) — battle array; spell, burst. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 一阵?
一阵 is read yízhèn. Tones: yí — second tone, zhèn — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“a while” in the lesson “This minute and these days”
This word is from the topic “Time and deadlines” of HSK 6. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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