Set phrase “不一会儿”

In Chinese “不一会儿” (bù yíhuìr) refers to a very short stretch of time.

In a sentence it usually works as an adverbial, and it belongs mostly to spoken Chinese.

In English it usually comes out as:

before long in no time after a moment

Core Meaning

不一会儿

Meaning:

after a very short time

before long

难(Nán)过(guò)的(de)事(shì)情(qing)不(bù)一(yí)会儿(huìr)就(jiù)忘(wàng)了(le)。

Upsetting things are forgotten before long.

Structure

不一会儿 + 就 + 忘了 before long + right then + forgot 难过的事情 — upsetting things 不一会儿 — before long 就忘了 — were forgotten

Here 不一会儿 shows how little time passed before they were forgotten.

不(Bù)一(yí)会儿(huìr)，张(Zhāng)校(xiào)长(zhǎng)就(jiù)来(lái)了(le)。

Before long, Principal Zhang arrived.

Structure

不一会儿 + 张校长 + 就来了 before long + Principal Zhang + arrived 不一会儿 — before long / in no time 张校长 — Principal Zhang 就来了 — arrived

两(Liǎng)个(ge)小(xiǎo)时(shí)看(kàn)起(qǐ)来(lái)长(cháng)，但(dàn)是(shì)不(bù)一(yí)会儿(huìr)就(jiù)过(guò)去(qù)了(le)。

Two hours seems long, but it goes by in no time.

Structure

但是 + 不一会儿 + 就过去了 but + before long + it was over 两个小时 — two hours 看起来长 — seems long 但是 — but 不一会儿 — in no time 就过去了 — it goes by

不一会儿 + ...

Meaning: something happens after a very short time, before long.

Examples:

不(bù)一(yí)会儿(huìr)就(jiù)忘(wàng)了(le)

forgotten before long

不(bù)一(yí)会儿(huìr)就(jiù)来(lái)了(le)

arrived before long

不(bù)一(yí)会儿(huìr)就(jiù)过(guò)去(qù)了(le)

was over in no time