Translation guide
Expressing a short period of time in Japanese using nouns, adverbs, and set phrases.
Referring to a brief, indefinite duration.
Literally 'a little while', a common and neutral way to say 'for a short period'.
Please wait for a short while.
Means 'for a while' or 'for some time'. Can be short or moderately long depending on context, but often used for short periods.
Please wait a moment.
Casual variant of 少しの間, often used in spoken Japanese.
Stay here for a little bit.
Literary or formal term for 'a short time' or 'a moment'.
Don't be swayed by momentary emotions.
Emphasizing a very brief, almost instantaneous duration.
Means 'an instant' or 'a moment'. Very common for extremely short periods.
For a moment, I didn't know what had happened.
Similar to 一瞬, but can also be used in compounds like 瞬間的に (momentarily).
Buddhist term for an extremely short instant; used in literary or philosophical contexts.
Describing a short but measurable duration, like a few minutes or a couple of hours.
Modifying a verb to indicate that an action lasts only a short time.
Means 'just a little', often used adverbially for time.
Let's rest for just a short while.
Very common casual adverb meaning 'a little' or 'for a moment'.
Means 'temporarily', often used in formal or technical contexts.
The system will be temporarily halted.
Indicating that something will happen after only a short period has passed.
Formal adverb meaning 'shortly' or 'soon'. Common in announcements.
The train will arrive shortly.
Means 'immediately' or 'right away', implying a very short time before something happens.
Same as まもなく, often written with kanji in formal contexts.
しばらく can imply a longer wait than 少しの間, but both are used for short periods. しばらく is more common in polite requests like しばらくお待ちください, while 少しの間 is more neutral.
Please wait a while (polite).
Sit here for a little while (casual).
Direct translations like 短い期間 (みじかいきかん) are grammatical but sound unnatural in many contexts. Use the expressions above depending on the nuance.
It's difficult to master Japanese in a short period. (acceptable but stiff)
その瞬間、電気が消えた。
At that moment, the lights went out.
Life is a series of moments.
ちょっと待って。
Wait a sec.
I'll be back in a moment.
間もなく開演です。
The performance will begin shortly.