来得及／来不及 lái de jí／lái bu jí

来得及／来不及（lái de jí／lái bu jí）means “to be in time / too late; there is / isn't enough time”. '来得及' means there is still enough time to do something, and '来不及' means it is too late or time is short. Formation: 来得及／来不及（固定短语，可后接动词）

to be in time / too late; there is / isn't enough time

HSK4

Formation

来得及／来不及（固定短语，可后接动词）

Explanation

'来得及' means there is still enough time to do something, and '来不及' means it is too late or time is short. They are fixed potential-complement phrases that stand alone or take a following verb. Use them to comment on whether the clock still allows an action.

Examples

现在走还来得及。
xiàn zài zǒu hái lái de jí
If we leave now we can still make it.
火车要开了，来不及了。
huǒ chē yào kāi le, lái bu jí le
The train is about to leave; there's no time left.

Note

Often paired with 还 (还来得及, still in time) or 已经 (已经来不及, already too late).

FAQ

来得及／来不及 — what does it mean and how is it used?

to be in time / too late; there is / isn't enough time. '来得及' means there is still enough time to do something, and '来不及' means it is too late or time is short. They are fixed potential-complement phrases that stand alone or take a following verb. Use them to comment on whether the clock still allows an action.

来得及／来不及 — how do you form it?

来得及／来不及（固定短语，可后接动词）

来得及／来不及 — any usage notes?

Often paired with 还 (还来得及, still in time) or 已经 (已经来不及, already too late).

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