Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| подождать | podoždatʹ | [pədɐʐˈdatʲ] (narrow) |
| повременить | povremenitʹ | [pəvrʲɪmʲɪˈnʲitʲ] (narrow) |
When you mean "hold on" in the sense of asking someone to wait a moment, you use the verb подождать. However, if you mean "hold on to something" physically, you would use удерживать or if you are telling someone to "hold on for support," you use держаться за что-то.
Which one should you use?
подождать is the standard, neutral way to say "wait" or "hold on." In contrast, the colloquial verb повременить is used specifically when the context implies delaying an action or waiting for a more opportune moment, rather than just a simple physical pause.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To tell someone to "hold on" in a formal or polite way, use подождите. For informal situations, you can use подожди or погоди. The form повременить is colloquial.
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken Russian, you will most often use the imperative forms to tell someone to "hold on." Use the singular/informal imperative подожди or the polite/plural imperative подождите.
How do you pronounce it?
podoždatʹ
Did you know?
- In very informal Russian speech, someone might simply shout Ну! (Nu!) to signal that someone should 'hold on' or 'hurry up', depending entirely on the context and vocal inflection.
- The colloquial version погоди comes from the root год, meaning 'year' or 'suitability', suggesting that one should wait for the 'right time'.
- The prefix по- in подождать often indicates that an action should be performed for a short duration, transforming 'wait' into 'wait a little bit'.
Examples in context
- Подождите, пожалуйста. Я сейчас найду информацию, которую вы просите.Hold on, please. I will find the information you requested.
- Погоди минутку, я закончу это задание.Hold on for a minute, I will finish this task.
- Вы можете подождать минуту?Vy mozhete podozhdat' minutu?Can you wait a minute?
- Я не могу долго подождать.Ya ne mogu dolgo podozhdat'.I cannot wait long.
Example conversation
Anastasia and Sergey are meeting at a cafe.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСергей, подожди меня у входа.Sergey, podozhdi menya u vkhoda.Sergey, wait for me at the entrance.
- Сергей SergeyХорошо, я могу подождать немного.Khorosho, ya mogu podozhdat' nemnogo.Okay, I can wait a little.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСпасибо, я скоро буду.Spasibo, ya skoro budu.Thanks, I will be there soon.
- Сергей SergeyБез проблем, я жду.Bez problem, ya zhdu.No problem, I am waiting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hold on” translations and entries подождать, повременить, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
