before long; not much
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesadverb
before long; soon; shortly after
literaryA literary adverb indicating that a short period of time has passed. Commonly used in written narratives.
Wèi未
jǐ几
jí即
lí离
Hù沪
běi北
shàng上
。
Before long, he left Shanghai and headed north.
Wèi未
jǐ几
，
yǔ雨
guò过
tiān天
qíng晴
，
zhòng众
rén人
jì继
xù续
gǎn赶
lù路
。
Shortly after, the rain stopped and the sky cleared, so the group continued on their way.
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Wèi未
jǐ几
biàn便
chuán传
lái来
xǐ喜
xùn讯
。
Good news arrived before long.
adjective
not much; not many; few; scant
literaryDescribes a small quantity or limited amount. Often used to indicate that time or resources are running out.
Suǒ所
shèng剩
wèi未
jǐ几
。
What remains is not much.
Shí时
rì日
wèi未
jǐ几
，
qǐng请
sù速
zuò做
jué决
duàn断
。
Time is short; please make a decision quickly.
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Kù库
yín银
wèi未
jǐ几
，
nán难
yǐ以
zhī支
chēng撑
dà大
jūn军
kāi开
xiāo销
。
The treasury silver is scant, making it difficult to support the expenses of a large army.