Expressing "all at once" with "yixiazi"

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一下子 (yīxiàzi) can be used as an adverb meaning "all at once." It has to come at the beginning of the sentence.

Basic Usage

一下子 (yīxiàzi) is a very informal expression to describe how fast things happened. In colloquial Chinese, "一下" is also used.

Subj. + 一下子 + Verb + 了

他 一下子 吃了三碗米饭。Tā yīxiàzi chī le sān wǎn mǐfàn. He ate three bowls of rice all at once.
我们没想到 一下子 赚了这么多钱。Wǒmen méi xiǎngdào yīxiàzi zhuàn le zhème duō qián. We didn't expect to make so much money so fast.
天气 一下子 变冷了。Tiānqì yīxiàzi biàn lěng le. The weather is suddenly getting cold.
她下楼的时候不小心，一下子 摔倒了。Tā xiàlóu de shíhou bù xiǎoxīn, yīxiàzi shuāidǎo le. She wasn't careful going down the stairs, and suddenly fell.
我太紧张了，一下子 想不起来了。Wǒ tài jǐnzhāng le, yīxiàzi xiǎng bu qǐlái le. I was too nervous to remember it right then.

Subj. + 一下子 + 就 + Verb + 了

听他说完，我 一下子 就明白了。Tīng tā shuō wán, wǒ yīxiàzi jiù míngbái le. After hearing him out, I understood everything all at once.
他是最高的，我 一下子 就看到他了。Tā shì zuì gāo de, wǒ yīxiàzi jiù kàndào tā le. He is the tallest. I spotted him right away.