Meaning of 不久
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- not long (after)
- before too long
- soon
- soon after
How to use 不久
不久 is used to say something happened or will happen a short time from now or from a reference point. It often appears as 不久以后 (soon after) or 不久前 (not long ago). Example: 他不久就回来了。(Tā bùjiǔ jiù huílái le.) He came back before long.
不 (bù) means not, and 久 (jiǔ) means a long time. Put them together and you get not a long time, so something happens soon.
Common mistake: Learners often say 不久 alone when they mean recently in the past, but 不久 usually points forward; for the past, use 不久前 (bùjiǔ qián) or 最近 (zuìjìn). Also watch the tone change: 不 stays fourth tone here (bùjiǔ) because 久 is third tone, not fourth.
不久 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
久 jiǔ · long · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 不久.
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing |
Questions about 不久
What does 不久 mean?
不久 (bùjiǔ) means "not long (after); before too long" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 不久?
不久 is made of 2 characters: 不 (4 strokes), 久 (3 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 不久 an HSK word?
Yes. 不久 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 不久 and 马上?
马上 (mǎshàng) means right away or immediately. 不久 is looser and means within a short while, so it can be days or weeks. Use 马上 for urgency and 不久 for a general soon.
Can 不久 go at the start of a sentence?
Yes. It often starts a clause to move a story forward, as in 不久，天就黑了。(Bùjiǔ, tiān jiù hēi le.) Soon it got dark. It is often followed by 就 (jiù) in the next part.