How to Say “In a minute” in Chinese
Time and dates · HSK 2
"In a minute" in Chinese is 一会儿 (yī huìr). 一会儿 (yīhuìr, "a little while") is the vague "in a bit / in a minute" for short delays. 马上 (mǎshàng, "right away") is more immediate.
Primary translation
一会儿
yī huìr
Traditional: 一會兒
Variants by register
Casual
马上
mǎ shàng
When to use it
一会儿 (yīhuìr, "a little while") is the vague "in a bit / in a minute" for short delays. 马上 (mǎshàng, "right away") is more immediate. 稍等 (shāo děng, "wait a moment") is the polite ask-the-other-to-wait. 过一会儿 (guò yīhuìr, "after a bit") emphasises the waiting interval. Drop the 儿 suffix in Taiwan and southern China: 一会 (yīhuì). 一下 (yíxià, "a while / once") is a softer alternative often attached to verbs: 等一下 (wait a moment).
Example sentences
我一会儿就来。
Wǒ yīhuìr jiù lái.
I will come in a moment.
稍等一下，马上好。
Shāo děng yíxià, mǎshàng hǎo.
Wait a moment, it will be ready right away.
过一会儿再说。
Guò yīhuìr zài shuō.
Let us talk in a bit.