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.
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.
その瞬間、電気が消えた。
At that moment, the lights went out.
人生は刹那の連続だ。
Life is a series of moments.
I have to prepare in a very short time.
ちょっと待って。
Wait a sec.
The system will be temporarily halted.
I'll be back in a moment.
間もなく開演です。
The performance will begin shortly.
It's difficult to master Japanese in a short period. (acceptable but stiff)