等一下
děng yīxià
In Chinese, "wait a moment" is expressed as 等一下 (děng yīxià).
The phrase is a request for someone to pause or stop for a short period of time. If you want to express the idea of "wait a little longer," you should use 再等一会儿.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb 等 (wait) and the complement 一下 (a bit or a moment).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The expression 等一下 is commonly used in informal contexts. For a more formal expression often used in professional environments, use 请等一下. For a more formal and polite way to say "wait a moment," you can use 稍等.
How do you pronounce it?
děng yīxià
Did you know?
- The word 等 (děng) also functions as a particle meaning 'etcetera' or 'and so on' in certain lists, though it is a different grammatical usage.
- In some contexts, 等一下 can actually mean 'I will do it later' rather than asking the other person to wait.
- In some contexts, adding 一下 (a bit) after a verb can actually make the command sound softer and less bossy than if you used the verb alone.
Examples in context
- 请稍等一下。Please wait a moment.The first sentence is useful for showing how to use 等一下 in a polite request.Tatoeba #423171 by GlossaMatik, translation #430067 by witbrock
- 等一下。Wait a moment.The second sentence is a direct way to say "Wait a moment" using 等一下.Tatoeba #9007563 by jacintoo, translation #410597 by CK
- 我请求她等一下。I asked her to wait a moment.The third sentence shows how to use 等一下 when describing an action in a sentence.Tatoeba #1272226 by Qian, translation #411316 by CK
- 请稍等一下，我马上帮您处理。Please wait a moment, I will assist you immediately.
- 请等一下，我需要检查您的文件。Please wait a moment, I need to check your documents.
- 等一下，我马上回来。Wait a moment, I'll be back soon.
- 稍等片刻，我找找看。Just wait a moment, let me search for it.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Junjie is about to leave, but Xiaowen needs him to stay.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen俊杰，等一下！Junjie, děng yīxià!Junjie, wait a moment!
- 俊杰 Junjie怎么了？Zěnme le?What's wrong?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你忘了拿钥匙。Nǐ wàngle ná yàoshi.You forgot to take your keys.
- 俊杰 Junjie哦，谢谢你。Ò, xièxiè nǐ.Oh, thank you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
