そのうち details
before long + write
sono uchi kaku
before long; sooner or later — a time ahead the speaker declines to pin down
meaning: will write before long
最初はみんなそうだから、そのうち慣れるよ。
saisho wa minna sou da kara, sono uchi nareru yo.
Everyone's like that at first, so you will get used to it before long. casual
今は誰も注目していないが、そのうち評価される日が来るだろう。
ima wa dare mo chuumoku shite inai ga, sono uchi hyouka sareru hi ga kuru darou.
No one is paying attention now, but the day it gets recognised will come sooner or later. neutral
- alternant
Examples
before long — the speaker puts the event ahead without saying when, often to reassure or to put something off
最初はみんなそうだから、そのうち慣れるよ。
saisho wa minna sou da kara, sonouchinareru yo.
Everyone's like that at first, so you will get used to it before long. casual
今は誰も注目していないが、そのうち評価される日が来るだろう。
ima wa dare mo chuumoku shite inai ga, sono uchi hyouka sareru hi ga kuru darou.
No one is paying attention now, but the day it gets recognised will come sooner or later. neutral
詳しいことは、そのうち分かるでしょう。
kuwashii koto wa, sono uchi wakaru deshou.
The details will become clear sooner or later. neutral
Formation
そのうち{V}attaches to dictionary form
Variant notes
- そのうちに — に adds nothing to the meaning and is commoner before a pause or in writing — そのうちに分かるでしょう。
Notes
雨が降ってきた — but in conversation そのうち always looks forward.
Related patterns
Similar
Both push the event into an unnamed future, but 今に states an outcome the speaker is sure of and usually warns with, while そのうち is neutral about what comes and is the reassuring one — 今に後悔するよ threatens, そのうち慣れるよ comforts.
Both put a departure ahead of now and mean opposite things by it — そろそろ行く announces that the speaker is leaving this minute, そのうち行く is the brush-off that names no day at all.
すぐ promises no interval at all and can be checked against a clock; そのうち deliberately refuses a time, which is what makes そのうち行くね a way of not committing where すぐ行くね commits.
Both answer "when will this get better?", but そのうち names a future point and says nothing about how the change gets there (そのうち慣れるよ); だんだん names the manner, so it can sit on a change already under way, where そのうち cannot.
Lookalikes
Same うち, opposite advice — 〜うちに names a window that will close and tells you to act inside it (若いうちに), while そのうち names no window and tells you not to hurry, so nothing in a そのうち sentence is urgent.