<p>[一 + v] = [once /upon + v]</p>
<p>听百灵鸟这么说，她明白了 = After hearing the lark said it like that, she understood</p>
<p>(一)听百灵鸟这么说，她明白了 = (Upon) hearing the lark said it like that, she understood</p>
<p>听百灵鸟这么(一)说，她明白了 = Hear the lark (once) said it like that, she understood</p>
<p>It would be easier to understand if we omit 听 and write: &quot;百灵鸟这么一说，她明白了&quot; = &quot;The lark once said it like that, she understood&quot; (&quot;heard&quot; is implied)</p>
<p>Note: depend on context [一 + v + 就...] can mean [once + verb + then...] or [would + verb + every time]</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>一見面就打架 = &quot;Start fighting upon seeing each other&quot; or  &quot;They fight every time upon seeing each other&quot;</p>
<p>不知如何，這兩人一見面就打架 = For an unknown reason, the two started fighting upon seeing each other&quot;</p>
<p>二人向來不睦，一見面就打架 = The two have not been friendly to each other, and they fight every time they meet&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-30T23:51:22.497Z
seems like an odd coincidence for the number one in Mandarin to server the same purpose as the word "once" in English
小奥利奥
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-30T19:22:23.590Z
2020-09-30T20:00:13.970Z
2020-09-30T20:00:13.970Z
Tang Ho
<p>This dictionary definition addresses the use of 一:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>（用在动词或动量词前面， 表示先做某个动作， 下文说明动作结果）:</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>get over in one jump;</p>
<p>一跳跳了过去</p>
<p>This explanation of his restored our confidence.</p>
<p>经他这么一说， 大家又都有信心了。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-01T04:28:30.687Z
2020-10-01T04:28:30.687Z
dan
<p>Talking skylarks?? Where are we??</p>
<p>I think you can understand this 一 as 'once' or 'as soon as'</p>
<p>听百灵鸟这么一说，她明白了。<br />
As soon as she heard the skylark speak, she understood.<br />
Once she heard the skylark speak, she understood.</p>
<p>You can also not translate it: Hearing the skylark speak thus, she understood.</p>
<p>Or, to borrow Tang Ho's example:</p>
<p>二人向来不睦，一见面就打架。<br />
Those two are always at odds, as soon as they see each other, they start fighting.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-01T07:14:51.823Z
We are in a fable ;) In fact, I know "一 ... 就 ...", but I thought "一" alone means something different. But apparently it means exactly the same thing.
musialmi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-30T22:13:37.867Z
2020-09-30T22:13:37.867Z
Pedroski
<p>I know it's a grammatical role that 一 plays in such sentences, but unfortunately I didn't find it on Chinese Grammar Wiki. So what's the meaning of 一 in this sentence?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>听百灵鸟这么一说，她明白了</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I suspect it's &quot;have just&quot;, but I want to understand it 100% correctly.</p>

<grammar><sentence-structure>
What's the role of 一 in 听百灵鸟这么一说，她明白了?
# What's the role of 一 in 听百灵鸟这么一说，她明白了?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-30)

I know it's a grammatical role that 一 plays in such sentences, but unfortunately I didn't find it on Chinese Grammar Wiki. So what's the meaning of 一 in this sentence?

> 听百灵鸟这么一说，她明白了

I suspect it's "have just", but I want to understand it 100% correctly.

**Tags:** grammar, sentence-structure

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-09-30. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Talking skylarks?? Where are we??

I think you can understand this 一 as 'once' or 'as soon as'

听百灵鸟这么一说，她明白了。  
As soon as she heard the skylark speak, she understood.  
Once she heard the skylark speak, she understood.

You can also not translate it: Hearing the skylark speak thus, she understood.

Or, to borrow Tang Ho's example:

二人向来不睦，一见面就打架。  
Those two are always at odds, as soon as they see each other, they start fighting.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: We are in a fable ;) In fact, I know "一 ... 就 ...", but I thought "一" alone means something different. But apparently it means exactly the same thing.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2020-09-30. Score: 3

[一 + v] = [once /upon + v]

听百灵鸟这么说，她明白了 = After hearing the lark said it like that, she understood

(一)听百灵鸟这么说，她明白了 = (Upon) hearing the lark said it like that, she understood

听百灵鸟这么(一)说，她明白了 = Hear the lark (once) said it like that, she understood

It would be easier to understand if we omit 听 and write: "百灵鸟这么一说，她明白了" = "The lark once said it like that, she understood" ("heard" is implied)

Note: depend on context [一 + v + 就...] can mean [once + verb + then...] or [would + verb + every time]

Example:

一見面就打架 = "Start fighting upon seeing each other" or "They fight every time upon seeing each other"

不知如何，這兩人一見面就打架 = For an unknown reason, the two started fighting upon seeing each other"

二人向來不睦，一見面就打架 = The two have not been friendly to each other, and they fight every time they meet"

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: seems like an odd coincidence for the number one in Mandarin to server the same purpose as the word "once" in English  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-10-01. Score: 0

This dictionary definition addresses the use of 一:

> （用在动词或动量词前面， 表示先做某个动作， 下文说明动作结果）:

> get over in one jump;
>
> 一跳跳了过去
>
> This explanation of his restored our confidence.
>
> 经他这么一说， 大家又都有信心了。


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