Skip to content
Chinese Copilot

等děngto wait for; to await

HSK 2word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

等 (děng) means "to wait for" or "to await." At the start of a clause it can mean "when" or "by the time," and after a short list it means "and so on" or "etc." This entry covers waiting, the "when / by the time" pattern, and the list-ending use.

What does 等 mean?

  1. 1.

    to wait for; to awaitverb

  2. 2.

    by the time; when; tillpreposition

  3. 3.

    and so on; etc.; et al.particle

What does the character 等 mean?

  • 等to wait for; to await

How do you use 等?

Grammar patterns

  1. 1

    Subj. + 等 + Obj. / 等一下

    Use 等 as a verb to wait for someone or something; 等一下 softens it to "wait a moment."

  2. 2

    等(到) + Time/Event ，Subj. + 再 / 就 + Predicate

    Start a clause with 等 or 等到 for "when / by the time"; the second part often uses 再 or 就.

  3. 3

    A1，A2 … 等

    Place 等 after a list to mean "and so on / etc."

等 as "wait" takes an object or 一下; as "when," it opens the first clause; as "etc.," it closes a list of two or more items.

Patterns

  • 等一下

    请等一下。

    Qǐng děng yīxià.

    Please wait a moment.

  • 等 + Person

    我等你。

    Wǒ děng nǐ.

    I'm waiting for you.

  • 等…，再…

    等他来了，我们再走。

    Děng tā lái le, wǒmen zài zǒu.

    When he comes, we'll go.

What are some examples of 等 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 1

    请等一下。

    Qǐng děng yīxià.

    Please wait a moment.

  2. HSK 1

    我等你。

    Wǒ děng nǐ.

    I'll wait for you. / I'm waiting for you.

  3. HSK 2

    等他来了，我们再走。

    Děng tā lái le, wǒmen zài zǒu.

    When he comes, we'll go.

  4. HSK 1

    书、水、车等我都要。

    Shū, shuǐ, chē děng wǒ dōu yào.

    Books, water, cars, etc. — I want them all.

How is 等 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    可以走了吗？

    Kěyǐ zǒu le ma?

    Can we go now?

  2. Speaker B:

    请等一下。

    Qǐng děng yīxià.

    Please wait a moment.

  3. Speaker A:

    你在等谁？

    Nǐ zài děng shéi?

    Who are you waiting for?

  4. Speaker B:

    我等你。

    Wǒ děng nǐ.

    I'm waiting for you.

  5. Speaker A:

    他来了我们走吗？

    Tā lái le wǒmen zǒu ma?

    When he comes, do we go?

  6. Speaker B:

    等他来了，我们再走。

    Děng tā lái le, wǒmen zài zǒu.

    When he comes, we'll go.

Can you use 等 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.Fill in the blank: 请___一下。
  2. 2.Which means "When he comes, we'll go"?
  3. 3.In 书、水、车等, 等 means:

What should you learn next?

Related words

Browse every entry in the Chinese word dictionary.

English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.