What does it mean word for word?
The verb 等 (děng) means 'to wait', and adding 一下 (yíxià) softens the command, making it sound more like 'wait a moment' rather than a blunt order.
Which one should you use?
While 等一下 is used for a short duration, using 等一会儿 implies a slightly longer, indefinite period of waiting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In formal settings, such as customer service or professional environments, use 请稍等 instead of the more colloquial 等一下. To make the request even more polite, you can add '请' to the beginning to get 请稍等. For speaking to someone of higher status or authority, the highly polite version 请您稍等 is used. In informal situations, you might use the shortened version 等等 to mean 'wait, wait' or 等我一下 among friends and acquaintances to mean 'wait for me for a moment'.
How do you pronounce it?
děng yíxià
Did you know?
- Adding the person's title before 等一下, such as 'Manager, wait a moment', is often more important for politeness than adding 'please'.
- The character 等 (děng) also means 'grade' or 'rank' in other contexts, such as 'first class' seats on a train, though it has no relation to waiting in those cases.
- While 等一下 means 'wait a moment', adding the particle 吧 to the end, as in 等一下吧, transforms the request into a gentle suggestion or a negotiation.
Examples in context
- 请稍等一下。Hold on a moment, please.This sentence shows how to use 等一下 to ask someone to hold on a moment politely.Tatoeba #423171 by GlossaMatik, translation #40045 by CK
- 你能等一下嗎？Can you hold on a second?This sentence shows how to use 等一下 to ask if someone can hold on a second.Tatoeba #6628383 by verdastelo9604, translation #3328138 by CK
- 等一下，我马上就回来。不要挂断电话！Hold on a second, I'll be right back. Don't hang up!This sentence shows how to use 等一下 on the phone when you want someone to wait and not hang up.Tatoeba #733622 by mcq, translation #39975 by mcq
- 请稍等一下，我需要找一下资料。Please wait a moment, I need to find some documents.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are getting ready to leave the house.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然，我们走吧！Hàorán, wǒmen zǒu ba!Haoran, let's go!
- 浩然 Haoran等一下，我的钥匙在哪儿？Děng yīxià, wǒ de yàoshi zài nǎ'er?Hold on, where are my keys?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen在桌子上，快点儿。Zài zhuōzi shàng, kuài diǎnr.They are on the table, hurry up.
- 浩然 Haoran找到了，现在可以走了。Zhǎodào le, xiànzài kěyǐ zǒu le.Found them, now we can go.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
