等一下
děng yíxià
In Chinese, "one moment" is expressed as 等一下 (děng yíxià).
等一下 is used to tell someone to stop or wait, or to tell someone that you yourself will be ready in a moment.
Meaning: Stop, wait (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
等 means "to wait", while 一下 literally means "one time" or "a bit", which is used here to indicate a short duration and soften the command.
Which one should you use?
While 等一下 is a common way to say "wait a moment", the phrase 等一等 is a more repetitive and slightly more casual way to express the same idea.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
等一下 is an informal way to say "one moment". To make the phrase more polite, suitable for service industries or speaking to elders, you can add 请 (meaning "please") to the beginning, resulting in 请等一下. Other formal options include 请稍等 and 稍等片刻, which means "please wait for a short while".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwanese Mandarin, one moment is often expressed as 請稍等一下.
How do you pronounce it?
děng yíxià
Did you know?
- The word 等 is also the character used for 'to rank' or 'to grade', creating a linguistic connection between waiting in a queue and one's position in a hierarchy.
- In an argument, 等一下 is frequently used as a 'verbal brake' to signal that the speaker has spotted a contradiction in the other person's logic.
- When used as a command to stop someone who is walking or talking, 等一下 can be spoken with a sharp, falling tone that transforms the 'softened' request into a stern order.
Examples in context
- 等一下，我正在找钥匙。Děng yīxià, wǒ zhèngzài zhǎo yàoshi.Wait a moment, I am looking for my keys.
- 请等一下，我马上就来。Qǐng děng yīxià, wǒ mǎshàng jiù lái.Please wait a moment, I'll be right there.
- 等一下，别走那么快。Děng yīxià, bié zǒu nàme kuài.Wait a moment, don't walk so fast.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are leaving the office together.
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，我们现在走吧。Jiāyí, wǒmen xiànzài zǒu ba.Jiayi, let's go now.
- 佳怡 Jiayi等一下，我要关掉电脑。Děng yīxià, wǒ yào guāndào diànnǎo.One moment, I need to turn off the computer.
- 志强 Zhiqiang没问题，我在门口等你。Méi wèntí, wǒ zài ménkǒu děng nǐ.No problem, I'll wait for you at the door.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好了，志强，我们走吧。Hǎole, Zhìqiáng, wǒmen zǒu ba.Okay, Zhiqiang, let's go.
