Is there any practical difference between しばらく and しばらくの間?


While answering [How does しばらく work with ていない?
](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/28147/how-
does-%E3%81%97%E3%81%B0%E3%82%89%E3%81%8F-work-
with-%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84) I started to wonder if 暫く{しばらく} and
暫く{しばらく}の間{あいだ} were fully interchangeable? Or are there any examples where
you would use one and not the other?




Simply put, しばらく is 'a while'. When it is used alone, it usually means 'for a
while'. When other words come after しばらく、the meaning change:

> しばらく前 : a while back  
>  しばらくして : after a while  
>  しばらくぶり : (something reoccurs) after a while  
>  しばらくの間 : for a while (makes it clear that the しばらく means 'for a while')




Simply put, しばらく is 'a while'. When it is used alone, it usually means 'for a
while'. When other words come after しばらく、the meaning change:

> しばらく前 : a while back  
>  しばらくして : after a while  
>  しばらくぶり : (something reoccurs) after a while  
>  しばらくの間 : for a while (makes it clear that the しばらく means 'for a while')

