等
děng
Wait
等 (děng) is the most common and versatile verb for "to wait" in Mandarin Chinese. It can be used for waiting for a person, an event, or a period of time.
When to use it
Neutral. To politely ask someone to wait, use 请等一下 (qǐng děng yí xià, "please wait a moment"). When someone asks you to wait, you might hear 好的 (hǎo de, "okay") or 没问题 (méi wèntí, "no problem").
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "DUNG" (rhymes with "sung") with a falling-rising tone. Imagine your voice dipping down and then coming back up.
Other ways to say it
- 等一下děng yí xiàwait a moment (very common and polite)
- 等等děng děngwait a moment (casual, or "etc.")
- 等待děng dàito wait (more formal, often for longer or more abstract waiting)
Examples
请等我一下。
qǐng děng wǒ yí xià 。
Please wait for me a moment.
我在这里等你。
wǒ zài zhè lǐ děng nǐ 。
I'll wait for you here.
我们还要等多久？
wǒ men hái yào děng duō jiǔ ？
How much longer do we have to wait?
Pro tip: The phrase 等一下 (děng yí xià) is extremely common. The 一 (yī) often changes to a rising tone (yí) when followed by a falling tone (xià). It literally means "wait a bit" and adds politeness.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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