Meaning

Primary

For A Little While

Alternatives

In A Little While, For A Moment

Word Type

adverb, の adjective

Explanation

Please temporarily wait. Please wait for a little while. In a little while something will happen, but for a moment you'll have to sit still.

暫く is used when something happens or doesn't happen for a short time. You might hear it in phrases like 暫くお待ちください (please wait a moment) or 暫く会ってないね (I haven't seen you in a while). Keep in mind that it's more commonly written in kana, like しばらく.

Reading

しばらく
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:

You've been waiting for a little while and nothing has happened yet so you start singing a sheep ballad (しばら). This ballad helps you sleep by counting sheep. If you manage to doze off for a moment, time will surely pass faster, and then something might happen!

Context

Context Sentences

暫くお待ち下さい。

Please wait for a moment.

暫くの間、旅に出ます。

I'll be traveling for a little while.

悪阻がひどくて、暫く全然家事ができてないんですよね。

I haven’t done any housework in a while because I have terrible morning sickness.

Kanji Composition