adverbial N3 common casualpolitewritten
しばらく — for a while
しばらく
Meaning
- for a while / for some time — an unspecified stretch of time, from a few minutes to several weeks depending on context
Key sentence
しばらくお待ちください。
Please wait a moment.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adverb modifying a verb or clause | しばらく + [verb / clause] | しばらく考える / しばらく会っていない |
Examples
雨がやむまで、しばらくここで休もう。
Let's rest here for a while until the rain stops.
卒業してから、しばらく彼とは連絡を取っていない。
Since graduating, I haven't been in touch with him for a while.
Notes
- As a greeting, しばらくですね / お久しぶり means 'long time no see' — here しばらく points to a long gap, not a short one. Context decides the length.
See しばらく in real sentences
Jengo shows しばらく the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.