请稍等
qǐng shāo děng
The English phrase 'please wait a moment' is translated into Chinese as 请稍等 (qǐng shāo děng).
请稍等 is a polite request for someone to stay or hold for a short period of time. It is frequently used in professional settings, such as customer service, telephone etiquette or when a host asks a guest to wait.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 请 (please), 稍 (a little/briefly) and 等 (to wait).
Which one should you use?
请稍等 is the polite and formal version of the request. In contrast, 等一下 is the informal version used with friends or in casual settings. To express a request to wait for a bit longer, you can use 再等一下.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 稍 functions as an adverb meaning 'slightly' or 'briefly' and modifies the verb 等. Adding 一下 to the end of the phrase, as in 请稍等一下, is a very common way to make the request sound more natural and slightly more casual or softened.
How do you pronounce it?
qǐng shāo děng
Did you know?
- The character 等 is used to describe social hierarchy and quality, such as in the word for 'first class' 一等.
- When used by a superior toward a subordinate, the phrase 等一下 can transform from a request for patience into a command to stop all activity immediately.
- If you want to sound very casual or use slang, you might replace the standard 'wait a moment' with the colloquial 等哈 (děng hā).
Examples in context
- 请稍等一下。Please wait a moment.This sentence shows how to use the phrase 请稍等 to ask someone to wait a moment.Tatoeba #423171 by GlossaMatik, translation #430067 by witbrock
- 请稍等，我这就查一下库存情况。Please wait a moment, I will check the inventory right away.
- 等一下，我马上回来。Wait a moment, I'll be right back.
- 小姐，请稍等片刻，我帮您转接到相关部门。Miss, please wait a moment, I will transfer your call to the relevant department.
- 请稍等，我马上就来。Qǐng shāoděng, wǒ mǎshàng jiù lái.Please wait a moment, I will be right there.
- 请稍等，您的电话正在接通中。Qǐng shāoděng, nín de diànhuà zhèngzài jiētōng zhōng.Please wait a moment, your call is being connected.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jiayi is helping Haoran find a document in the office.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我的文件在文件夹里吗？Wǒ de wén jiàn zài wén jiàn jiá lǐ ma?Is my document in the folder?
- 浩然 Haoran请稍等，我看看。Qǐng shāo děng, wǒ kàn kàn.Please wait a moment, let me see.
- 佳怡 Jiayi找到了吗，浩然？Zhǎo dào le ma, Hào rán?Did you find it, Haoran?
- 浩然 Haoran找到了，给你。Zhǎo dào le, gěi nǐ.Found it, here you go.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
