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来不及

lái bu jí

Old HSK 4 HSK 3.0 level 4 3-character word Traditional 來不及

来不及 (lái bu jí) means "there's not enough time (to do sth)". It is an HSK 3.0 level 4 word, and was HSK 4 in the old six-level list.

What 来不及 means

1. there's not enough time (to do sth); it's too late

The characters in 来不及

• 来láito come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb)…
• 不bùno; not so; (bound form) not; un-
• 及jíand; to reach; up to

Example sentences

• 时间快来不及了。
  We're running out of time.
• 我时间来不及啦，你快一点呀！
  Wǒ shíjiān láibují lā, nǐ kuài yīdiǎn ya!
  I don't have enough time, hurry up!
• 我时间有点来不及，只能出门买大饼油条。
  Wǒ shíjiān yǒudiǎn láibují, zhǐnéng chūmén mǎi dàbǐng yóutiáo.
  I'm running a little short on time, so I can only go out and buy flat bread and bread sticks.
• 不，如果不从现在开始练习，就来不及了 。
  Bù, rúguǒ bù cóng xiànzài kāishǐ liànxí, jiù láibují le.
  No, if you do not start practising from now onwards, it would be too late.
• 那是出车祸了吗？可恶，我现在绝对来不及准时上班了！
  Is that a car accident? Crap, now I'll never make it to work on time!

Where 来不及 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Common expressions & phrases (HSK 4), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 4 word, with the rest of its level.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read lái bu jí correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.