Definition
事不宜迟 is a chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning 'there is no time to lose' or 'one must act without delay'. The literal breakdown is 'matter not appropriate delay', so the core idea is urgency. You use it to emphasize that something must be done immediately — often followed by a suggestion or decision. It's a fixed expression and cannot be split or modified.
f.e.
there is no time to loseone must act without delay
Examples
- 事不宜迟，。shì bú, wǒmen mǎshàng chūfā ba.There's no time to lose — let's set off immediately.
- ，事不宜迟，。Jìrán juédìng le, jiù shì bú, gǎnkuài qù bàn.Since we've decided, we mustn't delay — hurry up and handle it.
- 事不宜迟，。shì bú, zhège fāng'àn xūyào jīntiān tíjiāo.There's no time to waste — this proposal needs to be submitted today.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.