片刻

piànkè

noun #6,671

Meanings

1 a moment
2 an instant
3 a brief period of time

Characters

slice; piece; brief

moment; quarter (of an hour)

Examples

请稍等片刻。

Qǐng shāo děng piànkè.

Please wait a moment.

他片刻也不停地工作。

Tā piànkè yě bù tíng de gōngzuò.

He works without stopping for even a moment.

片刻之后，他终于开口了。

Piànkè zhīhòu, tā zhōngyú kāikǒu le.

After a moment, he finally spoke.

Tips

register

片刻 is more literary and formal than 一会儿 (yīhuìr). Use 片刻 in writing or formal speech, and 一会儿 in casual conversation.

Stroke Order

片 piàn

刻 kè