HSK 4
来不及
láibují
be too late
Structure
Subject + 来不及 + (Verb Phrase)
How it works
来不及 is a potential complement used to indicate that there is not enough time to do something or to complete an action before a deadline. It often implies a sense of urgency or a missed opportunity. It can be used alone or followed by a verb phrase.
Examples
快点儿，否则我们就来不及赶飞机了。
Kuài diǎnr, fǒuzé wǒmen jiù láibují gǎn fēijī le.
Hurry up, otherwise we won't have enough time to catch the plane.
电影马上就要开始了，现在买票已经来不及了。
Diànyǐng mǎshàng jiù yào kāishǐ le, xiànzài mǎi piào yǐjīng láibují le.
The movie is about to start; it's already too late to buy tickets now.
我早上起床太晚，来不及吃早饭就去上班了。
Wǒ zǎoshang qǐchuáng tài wǎn, láibují chī zǎofàn jiù qù shàngbān le.
I got up too late this morning and didn't have time to eat breakfast before going to work.
Common mistakes
Do not use '不' between '来' and '及' (like '来不及' vs '来得及'); '来不及' is the fixed negative form. Also, avoid using '很' or '非常' before it.
Tip
Think of '来不及' as 'no time left to...' Its opposite is '来得及' (láidejí), which means 'there is still enough time to...'
More HSK 4 grammar
See 来不及 in real Chinese
Import an article and tap any sentence using it. The explanation comes back about the sentence in front of you, not a textbook example.
Try InputDojo free