sandali
/sandaˈliʔ/
The Tagalog word for 'wait' is sandali.
You can use it to request a pause or to say 'just a moment' by adding lang to the end, creating the common phrase sandali lang. If you want to say 'wait a moment first' to request a temporary pause, you can say sandali muna. While it is used to mean 'wait', it functions grammatically as a noun meaning 'a moment' in Tagalog.
Meaning: delay until some event (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
sandali literally means 'moment' or 'a short time'.
Which one should you use?
sandali acts as a noun meaning 'a moment', whereas the verbal action of waiting is expressed using the root hintay with the prefix mag-, forming maghintay.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of waiting as a verb, use the root hintay with the prefix mag-, resulting in maghintay.
How do you pronounce it?
/sandaˈliʔ/
Did you know?
- The word sandali shares a deep ancestral link with the Malay word jari, which means 'finger'. This suggests that the measurement of a 'moment' may have once been tied to the small increments of a human body.
- The root of the word sandali contains the element dali, which in Tagalog can also mean 'quick' or 'fast'. This creates a beautiful paradox where a word meaning 'a short time' is built from a root meaning 'speed'.
- In casual conversation, Filipinos may shorten sandali lang to sandali or even just lang when the context is clear. This extreme brevity is common in fast-paced urban settings.
Examples in context
- Makakapaghintay ka ba nang sandali?Will you wait a moment?This sentence shows how to use sandali to ask someone to wait a moment.Tatoeba #11716035 by qwertzu, translation #3973207 by felvideki
- Sandali lang. Kukuha ako ng tuwalya.Wait a second. I'll get a towel.This sentence uses sandali to mean 'wait a second'.Tatoeba #11788431 by qwertzu, translation #10628155 by sundown
- Sandali!Wait!This sentence uses sandali as a direct command to 'wait'.Tatoeba #8635208 by artemio, translation #1744314 by belgavox
- Hintayin mo ako dito.Wait for me here.
- Maghintay kayo ng ilang minuto.Wait for a few minutes.
- Ihintay mo lang ako dito, ha?Just wait for me here, okay?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Angela is about to leave the house, but Ricardo needs her to stay for a moment.
- RicardoSandali lang, Angela.Wait a moment, Angela.
- AngelaBakit, Ricardo?Why, Ricardo?
- RicardoSandali muna, may sasabihin ako.Wait a bit, I have something to say.
- AngelaSige, maghihintay ako.Okay, I will wait.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sandali, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sandali, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
