灵机一动

líng jī yī dòng

to hit on an idea in a flash

Character by character

灵líng
clever

机jī
spark

一yī
one

动dòng
stir

下雨没带伞，他灵机一动，把购物袋顶在了头上。

Caught in the rain without an umbrella, he had a brainwave and put the shopping bag on his head.

Tone: neutral.

Usually followed straight away by what the person did or thought of: 灵机一动，想出了一个办法.

Learn this in Lesson 220 · HSK 9+: 对联、灯谜与飞花令 (Couplets, riddles and poem games)

A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.