Meaning and Usage
"稍后" means "a little later" or "shortly after" and is commonly used to indicate a short delay before an action or event. It is a polite and neutral way to ask someone to wait or to promise something will happen soon.
Common Contexts
It is often used in daily conversations, customer service, meetings, and scheduling to soften requests or statements about timing.
Collocations and Patterns
- "稍后再说" (talk about it later) – used to postpone a discussion.
- "稍后通知" (notify later) – used when information will be given soon.
- "稍后开始" (start shortly) – used to indicate an event will begin soon.
Nuances
"稍后" implies a short wait, usually minutes to a few hours, and is less formal than "稍候" but more formal than "等一下". It is not used for long delays. Avoid confusing it with "以后" which means "afterwards" or "in the future" and can imply a longer time frame.