一会儿 · 不一会儿
a little while; in a moment · before long
Structure
动词 + 一会儿 · 一会儿 + 动词 · 不一会儿 （ 就 ） ……
What it means
一会儿 is “a little while” or “in a moment”. 不一会儿 means “before long”, not “not a while”.
How it is built
Verb + 一会儿 = for a bit: 请等一会儿. 一会儿 + verb = in a moment: 我一会儿去. 不一会儿（就）……了: 不一会儿，车就来了 (Before long, the bus came).
When to use it
After a verb, 一会儿 says how long; before a verb, it says when (you met it in h1-15). 不一会儿 tells what already happened, usually with 就 and 了.
Watch out
For something still to come, use 一会儿 or 马上, not 不一会儿. ✗ 我不一会儿给你打电话。 ✓ 我一会儿给你打电话。
Examples
请等一会儿。
Please wait a moment.
我们休息一会儿吧。
Let’s rest for a bit.
我一会儿给你打电话。
I’ll call you in a bit.
不一会儿，他就来了。
Before long, he arrived.
Learn this in HSK 2 · Lesson 16: 火车快要开了 (Catching a train)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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