Expressing "all at once" with "yixiazi"

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

Structure

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

Examples

• 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.
• 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.
• 你们 怎么 一下子 赚 了 这么 多 钱？Nǐmen zěnme yīxiàzi zhuàn le zhème duō qián?How come you make so much money so fast?

Used with 就

Structure

Subj. + 一下子 + 就 + Verb + 了

Examples

• 听 他 说 完，我 一下子 就 明白 了。Tīng tā shuō wán, wǒ yīxiàzi jiù míngbai 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.

See also

• Verb reduplication with yi
• Verb reduplication

Sources and further reading

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 126) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 206)→buy