ephemeral; transitory; fleeting
Describes something that lasts only a moment, often with a poetic or philosophical nuance. Used for experiences, pleasures, or states that are brief and passing.
The joys of life are ephemeral.
彼は刹那的な快楽を追い求めた。
He pursued fleeting pleasures.
一時的 means 'temporary' in a more neutral, practical sense, while 刹那的 carries a stronger nuance of brevity and often a poetic or philosophical tone.
Derived from the Buddhist term 刹那 (setsuna), meaning an extremely short moment, combined with the adjectival suffix 的 (teki).