马上 mǎ shàng
“at once; right away; immediately”
adverb, place wordHSK 3 · 2021 list level 1Traditional 馬上
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
马上 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 766: 马上 mǎshàng — Level 3; official annotation 3 (副). PDF page 99
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 马上
马上 means 'right away' or 'immediately'. It is an adverb and normally comes before the verb, or before 要/会 to show that something is about to happen. It is very common in everyday spoken Chinese.
例句Example sentences
- 你等一下，我马上来。nǐ děng yí xià, wǒ mǎ shàng lái.Wait a moment, I’ll come right away.
- 火车马上要开了，我们快一点。huǒ chē mǎ shàng yào kāi le, wǒ men kuài yì diǎn.The train is about to leave, let’s hurry.
- 妈妈叫我马上回家。mā ma jiào wǒ mǎ shàng huí jiā.Mom told me to go home right away.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗我回家马上。
✓我马上回家。
马上 is an adverb and must come before the verb phrase, not after it.