Writing
片刻 (piàn kè) — how to say "a short while" in Chinese
片刻
A short while, a moment
noun
Character composition
片
slice, piece
刻
moment, to carve
Radicals / Keys
片
Slice
#91 · piàn · 4 strokes
刀
Knife
#18 · dāo · 2 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
等待片刻
děng dài piàn kè
wait a moment
片刻不停
piàn kè bù tíng
without stopping for a moment
片刻之间
piàn kè zhī jiān
in an instant
Examples
他思考了片刻，然后做出了决定。
He thought for a moment, then made a decision.
请等我片刻。
Please wait for me a moment.
Frequently asked questions
In a short while meaning in Chinese
"a short while" in Chinese is 片刻 (piàn kè).
What does 片刻 mean in English?
片刻 (piàn kè) means "A short while, a moment".
How is 片刻 pronounced?
It is pronounced piàn kè (written as pian ke, pianke). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "a short while" in Chinese characters?
It is written 片刻: 片 has 4 strokes, 刻 has 8 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 片刻?
片刻 belongs to the HSK 6 vocabulary list.
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