How to say “for a while” in Chinese
for a while; at once; on impulse
“For a while” in Chinese is 一时, yì shí: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
一时 is read yì shí: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Before a measure word its tone changes: yí before a fourth tone, yì before the others. In numbers and dates it stays yī.
On the left, 日 “sun”.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “一时”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 一时. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 他的名字我一时想不起来了。tādemíngziwǒyìshíxiǎngbuqǐlaileI can't recall his name right now.
- 我一时高兴，买了很多没用的东西。wǒyìshígāoxìng,mǎilehěnduōméiyòngdedōngxiI was so happy I went and bought a pile of useless stuff.
- 这个问题一时很难解决zhègewèntíyìshíhěnnánjiějuéThis problem can't be solved right away.
- 这几天天气一时晴，一时雨。zhèjǐtiāntiānqìyìshíqíng,yìshíyǔThese days the weather is sunny one moment, rainy the next.
- 孩子一时哭一时笑háiziyìshíkū,yìshíxiàoThe child cries one moment and laughs the next.
- 我一时冲动，买了一台很贵的相机。wǒyìshíchōngdòng,mǎileyìtáihěnguìdexiàngjīOn a sudden impulse, I bought a very expensive camera.
More words from the lesson “Now and then, now this, now that”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “for a while” in Chinese?
“For a while” in Chinese is 一时, pinyin yìshí.
What does 一时 mean?
一时 (yìshí) means “for a while; at once; on impulse”.
How do you write 一时?
一时 is 2 characters: 一 (yī) — one; 时 (shí) — time. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 一时?
一时 is read yìshí. Tones: yì — fourth tone, shí — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“for a while” in the lesson “Now and then, now this, now that”
This word is from the topic “Time and deadlines” of HSK 6. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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