あっと言う間

Japanese
FWOTD – 30 December 2016
Kanji in this term
言 間
い
Grade: 2		 ま
Grade: 2

Alternative forms

Etymology

Literally "the time it takes to say ah".

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [a̠t̚to̞ iɯ̟ᵝ ma̠]

Noun

あっと言う間 (hiragana あっというま, rōmaji at to iu ma)

  1. blink of an eye, nothing flat (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)は梯子 (はしご)段 (だん)の七段目 (しちだんめ)を踏 (ふ)み抜 (ぬ)いてしまった。
      At to iu ma ni ore no ashi wa hashigo dan no shichi dan-me o fuminuite shimatta.
      In the blink of an eye my foot slipped through the seventh rung of the ladder.
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