马上 (mǎ shàng) — immediately, right away, at once

Definition

马上 means 'right away' — it goes directly before the verb (no 就 needed) and stresses the action will happen very soon. Colloquial and most common; 立刻 and 立即 are tighter and more formal.

adverb
immediatelyright awayat once

Examples

  • 马上
    Qǐng mǎ shàng bǎ zuò yè jiāo shàng lái.
    Please hand in your homework immediately.
  • 马上
    Wǒ mǎ shàng jiù qù mǎi chī de.
    I'll go buy food right away.
  • 马上
    Lǎo shī mǎ shàng jiù dào le.
    The teacher will arrive very soon.

Browse more HSK 3 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.