马上 / 立刻 mǎshàng / lìkè

马上 / 立刻（mǎshàng / lìkè）means “right away; immediately”. "马上" and "立刻" are adverbs meaning "immediately / right away", placed before the verb to say an action will happen very soon. Formation: 马上 / 立刻 + V

right away; immediately

HSK2

Formation

马上 / 立刻 + V

Explanation

"马上" and "立刻" are adverbs meaning "immediately / right away", placed before the verb to say an action will happen very soon. "马上" is the more colloquial and common word; "立刻" is a bit more formal and stresses that there is no delay at all.

Examples

你等一下，我马上就来。
nǐ děng yíxià, wǒ mǎshàng jiù lái.
Wait a moment, I'll come right away.
听到消息，他立刻出发了。
tīng dào xiāoxi, tā lìkè chūfā le.
On hearing the news, he set off immediately.

Note

Both go before the verb. "马上" is everyday speech; "立刻" sounds more urgent and formal.

FAQ

马上 / 立刻 — what does it mean and how is it used?

right away; immediately. "马上" and "立刻" are adverbs meaning "immediately / right away", placed before the verb to say an action will happen very soon. "马上" is the more colloquial and common word; "立刻" is a bit more formal and stresses that there is no delay at all.

马上 / 立刻 — how do you form it?

马上 / 立刻 + V

马上 / 立刻 — any usage notes?

Both go before the verb. "马上" is everyday speech; "立刻" sounds more urgent and formal.

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