既而

jì'ér

conjunction

Meanings

Tā xiānshì yī lèng, jì'ér dàxiào qǐlái.

He was stunned at first, and then burst out laughing.

Tiānkōng wūyún mìbù, jì'ér xià qǐ le dàyǔ.

The sky filled with dark clouds, and soon after it began to pour.

Literary / written register. In speech, 不久 (bùjiǔ) or 接着 (jiēzhe) are far more common.

grammar

Connects two events in time: A 既而 B = 'A happened, then B'. The first clause sets the scene; 既而 marks the next development.

既 jì

而 ér