来不及 meaning in English
there's not enough time (to do sth); it's too late
Meaning of 来不及
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- there's not enough time (to do sth); it's too late
How to use 来不及
来不及 is a potential complement form: verb + 不 + result. It often comes before another verb to say there is no time to do it. Example: 快走吧，要来不及了。(Kuài zǒu ba, yào láibují le.) Let's hurry, we're going to be late.
Break it into 来 (lái) come, 不 (bù) not, and 及 (jí) reach in time. Something you need "comes" but you "cannot reach it in time," so it's too late.
Common mistake: Learners often say 没有时间 when they mean "too late." 来不及 is about missing a deadline or a chance, not about being busy in general. Also, 不 here is light and neutral in tone, so say láibují, not láibùjí with full stress.
来不及 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.
来 lái · to come · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
不 bù · no · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
及 jí · and · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 来不及.
| 回来 | huílái | to return; to come back |
| 起来 | qǐlái | to stand up; to get up; also pr. [qi3lai2] |
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 出来 | chūlái | to come out; to appear |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 进来 | jìnlái | to come in |
| 来到 | láidào | to arrive; to come |
| 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 |
Questions about 来不及
What does 来不及 mean?
来不及 (láibují) means "there's not enough time (to do sth); it's too late" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 来不及?
来不及 is made of 3 characters: 来 (7 strokes), 不 (4 strokes), 及 (3 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 来不及 an HSK word?
Yes. 来不及 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 来不及 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 来不及 is written 來不及.
What is the opposite of 来不及?
The opposite is 来得及 (láidejí), meaning there is still enough time. For example, 现在走还来得及。(Xiànzài zǒu hái láidejí.) If we leave now, we can still make it.
Can 来不及 be followed by a verb?
Yes. Put the action right after it: 来不及吃早饭 (láibují chī zǎofàn) means no time to eat breakfast. It can also stand alone at the end of a sentence, often with 了.