Having a moment
Meaning: Experiencing a brief, intense emotional episode — being temporarily overwhelmed by feelings.
'Having a moment' is a gentle, self-aware way to acknowledge an emotional episode. It could be crying unexpectedly ('sorry, I'm having a moment'), becoming overwhelmed with gratitude, or briefly losing composure. It implies the emotion is temporary and you'll be fine — you just need a second to collect yourself.
Examples
- Excuse me, I'm just having a moment — that speech really got to me. 不好意思,我有点激动了——那段演讲真的太感人了。Disculpad, es que me ha dado un momento — ese discurso me ha llegado mucho.ごめんなさい、ちょっとグッときちゃって——あのスピーチに本当に感動したの。잠깐, 좀 감정이 복받쳐서 — 저 연설에 진짜 감동받았어.
- She was having a moment in the bathroom after the wedding ceremony. 婚礼仪式之后,她在洗手间里情绪涌上来了。Estaba emocionada en el baño después de la ceremonia de la boda.結婚式の後、彼女はトイレで感極まっていた。결혼식이 끝난 후 그녀는 화장실에서 감정이 북받치고 있었다.
- Sorry about the tears — I'm having a moment. I'll be fine. 抱歉掉眼泪了——我就是一时有点感触。马上就好。Perdón por las lágrimas — estoy teniendo un momento. Enseguida se me pasa.涙が出てごめんね——ちょっと感情的になってるだけ。すぐ大丈夫になるから。눈물이 나서 미안해 — 잠깐 감정이 벅차오르는 중이야. 곧 괜찮아질 거야.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: emotional episodes, weddings, gratitude, self-awareness
Tone: gentle, self-aware
✓ Do Say
- I'm just having a moment.I'm just having a moment.(我只是一时有点激动。)I'm just having a moment. (Solo estoy teniendo un momento de debilidad.)ちょっと感情的になってるだけ。잠깐 감정이 벅차올라서.
- Give her a second — she's having a moment.Give her a second — she's having a moment.(给她一会儿——她正在缓一缓。)Give her a second — she's having a moment. (Dale un segundo — está pasando un momento emocional.)少し待ってあげて——ちょっとグッときてるから。잠깐만 기다려 줘 — 잠시 감정이 북받치고 있어.
✗ Don't Say
- Dismissing someone's distress as 'just a moment' can be invalidating if they're genuinely struggling把别人的痛苦轻描淡写成'just a moment'(只是一时的)可能会让真正在挣扎的人觉得被否定了。Minimizar el malestar de alguien como 'solo un momento' puede ser invalidante si realmente está pasándolo mal.本当に苦しんでいる人の感情を「ちょっとしたこと」と片付けるのは、その人の気持ちを軽視することになりかねない진짜 힘들어하는 사람의 고통을 '잠깐 그런 거야'라고 치부하는 것은 그 감정을 부정하는 것이 될 수 있다.
Origin & History
A gentle American English euphemism for an emotional episode that became mainstream in the 2000s. It allows people to acknowledge being emotional without dramatizing it — 'a moment' implies it's temporary and manageable.
Cultural Context
Era: 2000s onwards
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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