Writing
一旦 (yí dàn) — how to say "once" in Chinese
一旦
Once, if, in case
linking adverb
How to use it
Goes after the subject, before the verb — not at the start like a conjunction.
你一旦开始，就别停。
nǐ yí dàn kāi shǐ jiù bié tíng
Once you start, don't stop.
Character composition
一
one
旦
dawn, day
Radicals / Keys
日
Sun
#72 · rì · 4 strokes
一
One
#1 · yī · 1 stroke
Synonyms
Collocations
一旦发生
yí dàn fā shēng
once it happens
一旦失去
yí dàn shī qù
once lost
Examples
一旦你开始学习汉语，就会发现它很有趣。
Once you start learning Chinese, you'll find it very interesting.
一旦下雨，就不去。
If it rains, we won't go.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "once" in Chinese?
"once" in Chinese is 一旦 (yí dàn).
一旦 meaning in English
一旦 (yí dàn) means "Once, if, in case".
How is 一旦 pronounced?
It is pronounced yí dàn (written as yi dan, yidan). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "once" in Chinese characters?
It is written 一旦: 一 has 1 stroke, 旦 has 5 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 一旦?
一旦 belongs to the HSK 5 vocabulary list.
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