迟早 chízǎo sooner or later
How to remember 迟早: 迟 late + 早 early = sooner or later.
Characters
How it is used
- Sooner or later / eventually it's bound to happen - 纸包不住火,迟早会被发现 (zhǐ bāo bú zhù huǒ, chízǎo huì bèi fāxiàn) the truth will out sooner or later.
- Expresses confident inevitability, often as a warning or prediction (你迟早会后悔的 you'll regret it eventually).
- Adverb; combines 迟 (late) + 早 (early) = whenever, but definitely. Stronger sense of certainty than 早晚 in careful writing (though 早晚 is near-identical in speech).
Example sentences
- 他迟早会回来的。 Tā chízǎohuì huílái de.He will come back sooner or later.
- 他的急脾气迟早会惹祸上身。 Tā de jí píqì chízǎohuì rěhuòshàngshēn.His quick temper will get him in trouble one day.