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Yomi
あっというま
Rōmaji
atto iu ma
Type
idiom
Literal Meaning
While saying あ
Meaning
the blink of an eye; a very short time; time flies
Synonym
すぐ
Additional Info
This idiom is so common that many Japanese people use it without paying attention to its literal meaning (like “of course” in English). It is often used as あっという間に… (“in the blink of an eye”) or あっという間だった (“it was the blink of an eye”)
Example
あっという間に雨が止んだ。
It stopped raining in the blink of an eye.
高校生活は楽しくてあっという間だった
My high-school life was so much fun and time flew like an arrow.
