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一会 (yī huì) — (classifier) a short while, a moment

Definition

A casual way to say 'a short while' or 'in a moment' — softer and less specific than 一会儿 (yīhuìr).

classifier
a short whilea moment

Examples

  • 。
    Qǐng děng yī yī huì.
    Please wait a moment.
  • 。
    Tā xiū xi le yī yī huì yòu jì xù gōng zuò.
    He rested for a while and then continued working.
  • 。
    Yī yī huì qián tā hái zài zhè lǐ.
    A moment ago he was still here.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

一yīone
会huìmoment

一 means one and 会 refers to a brief period; together they mean a moment or a while.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 會; 会 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
合合héto meet
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡆧
𡆧𡆧會huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Traditional 會 pairs 合 (to meet) with 𡆧, an original form for ironware, to give the sound. The simplified 会 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 会 →
Appears in
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