不一会儿 (bù yí huì r) — in a moment; shortly; a little while later

Definition

Means 'in a moment / shortly' — the action happens quickly after the moment just described, often paired with 就 to stress the short wait.

adverb
in a momentshortlya little while later

Examples

  • ，不一会儿。
    Tā gāng zǒu, bù yí huì r jiù huí lái le.
    He just left, and came back in a moment.
  • ，不一会儿。
    Bié zháo jí, bù yí huì r jiù dào le.
    Don't worry, we'll be there in a little while.
  • 不一会儿。
    Wǒ bù yí huì r jiù zuò wán zuò yè le.
    I'll finish my homework in a moment.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 儿 is a simple drawing of a standing person, used as an alternate form of the character for person.

Open 儿 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.