awhile

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪl

Adverb

awhile (not comparable)

1. For some time; for a short time.

   Sit with me awhile.

Translations

For some time; for a short time

• Bengali: কিছুক্ষন (bn) (kichukkhôn)
• Bulgarian: за известно време (bg) (za izvéstno vréme)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 一會兒 (cmn), 一会儿 (cmn) (yīhuìr)

• Finnish: hetken, hetkisen, hetken aikaa, vähän aikaa
• Italian: per un po' (it)

• Japanese: 暫く (ja) (しばらく, shibaraku)
• Korean: 잠깐 (ko) (jamkkan)
• Russian: ненадолго (ru) (nenadólgo), на некоторое время (ru) (na nékotoroje vrémja)
• Spanish: un rato (es), algún (es) tiempo (es)

Usage notes

Since awhile means “for a while”, it is never used with a preceding preposition, as one is already included. When preceded by a preposition, the correct form is “a while”, as two words, as in once in a while. Compare “sit with me awhile” and “sit with me for a while”.

Related terms

• while