等等
děng děng
The English phrase "etc." can be translated into Chinese using 等等 (děng děng).
等等 is a standard way to say "and so on" and is frequently used in spoken Chinese to imply a category of things without naming every single one. 之類的 is used to mean "and things of that sort".
Which one should you use?
The single character 等 can be used to indicate "etc." concisely. 诸如此类 refers to a broad category of items, while 之类的 is a colloquial expression meaning "and similar things" or "stuff like that."
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 等等 is placed at the end of a list to indicate that the list continues with similar items.
How do you pronounce it?
děng děng
Did you know?
- While 等等 means 'etc.' in a list, the single character 等 is also the primary word for 'to wait' in Chinese. This can lead to humorous confusion in spoken sentences where a list ends just as someone is told to wait.
- In mathematical or logical contexts, the character 等 (děng) may be used to denote an 'equals' sign, meaning the same character used for 'etc.' is used to state that two things are identical.
- The character 等 was historically used to categorize social ranks in classical Chinese. This concept of 'grading' evolved into the modern way of grouping similar items in a list.
Examples in context
- 苹果、橙子等等Apples, oranges, and so on
- 猫、狗、诸如此类Cats, dogs, and so on
- 书、笔等Books, pens, etc.
- 糖、巧克力之类的Sugar, chocolate, etc.
- 桌上有苹果、香蕉、橘子等等。Zhuō shàng yǒu píngguǒ, xiāngjiāo, júzi děngděng.There are apples, bananas, oranges, etc. on the table.
- 我喜欢游泳、跑步、骑车等等。Wǒ xǐhuān yóuyǒng, pǎobù, qíchē děngděng.I like swimming, running, cycling, etc.
- 我们需要笔、纸、橡皮等等。Wǒmen xūyào bǐ, zhǐ, xiàngpí děngděng.We need pens, paper, erasers, etc.
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are preparing for a hiking trip.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen伟，我们带了水、零食、地图等等吗？Wěi, wǒmen dài le shuǐ, língshí, dìtú děngděng ma?Wei, did we bring water, snacks, maps, etc.?
- 伟 Wei都带好了，别担心。Dōu dài hǎo le, bié dānxīn.Everything is packed, don't worry.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好的，那我们出发吧。Hǎo de, nà wǒmen chūfā ba.Okay, let's head out then.
- 伟 Wei走吧，晓雯。Zǒu ba, Xiǎowén.Let's go, Xiaowen.
