既而

jì'ér

conjunction

Meanings

HSK 6

天空乌云密布，既而下起了大雨。

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

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

HSK 7-9

他先是一愣，既而大笑起来。

Tā xiānshì yī lèng, jì'ér dàxiào qǐlái.

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

Literary / written register. In speech, 不久 or 接着 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