HEYGOW ASMR

Placing it in time

10 phrases
HD
nà tiān zǎoshang.
那天早上。
ENthat morning
HD
jiù zài nàge shíhou.
就在那个时候。
ENright at that moment
HD
méi guò duōjiǔ.
没过多久。
ENnot long after
HD
guò le yí zhènzi.
过了一阵子。
ENafter a while
HD
yǔ cǐ tóng shí.
与此同时。
ENmeanwhile
HD
cóng nà yǐhòu.
从那以后。
ENever since then
HD
hòulái yǒu yì tiān.
后来有一天。
ENthen one day
HD
dào le wǎnshang.
到了晚上。
ENcome the evening
HD
zhuǎnyǎn yì nián guòqù le.
转眼一年过去了。
ENa year went by in a flash
HD
zhídào xiànzài.
直到现在。
ENright up to now

就在那个时候 - right at that moment - is the phrase that marks the hinge of a story, and dropping it just before the turn is what makes a Chinese anecdote land. 转眼一年过去了 compresses a year into a clause, and knowing when to compress is half of narrative.