noun / adverb HSK 2
Traditional 一會兒
a moment · a little while · in a moment · later
Meaning
一会儿 refers to a short, indefinite period of time. It can mean 'a moment' when describing duration, or 'in a moment/soon' when referring to the near future. Native speakers use it constantly in everyday conversation to indicate something brief or imminent.
Usage
Extremely common in spoken Mandarin. Can be used to ask someone to wait briefly (等一会儿), to say you'll do something soon (一会儿就来), or to describe a short duration (他睡了一会儿). The 儿 suffix is characteristic of northern Mandarin; southern speakers may say 一会 without the 儿.
Examples
- 01你等我一会儿，我马上就回来。, .Wait for me a moment, I'll be right back.
- 02他一会儿哭一会儿笑，真奇怪。, .He's crying one moment and laughing the next, really strange.
Characters
Common collocations
- 等一会儿wait a moment
- 过一会儿after a while
- 一会儿...一会儿...... ...now...now... (alternating actions)
- 玩一会儿play for a while
Antonyms
Origin
Literally 'one moment'. The character 会 originally meant 'to meet' or 'gathering', which extended to mean a 'session' or 'moment in time'.