Opportune timing with "chen"

趁 (chèn) is a preposition that means to 'take advantage of' an opportunity or favorable time to do something. It is normally followed by an adjective or a short phrase explaining the situation that the person is seeking to take advantage of.

Structure

趁+[situation/opportunity]

Examples

  • 老板 不 在,我们 出去 吃 饭 吧。When the boss wasn't here, we went out to eat.
  • 年轻,你们 快 点儿 结婚 吧。You guys should hurry up and get married while you're still young.
  • 孩子 睡着 的 时候,我 洗 了 很 多 衣服。While the kids were asleep, I washed a lot of clothes.
  • 天气 好,我 要 去 野餐。While the weather is good, I'm going on a picnic.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries

HSK5