How to say “wait a moment” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
一 (yī) changes to yí before a fourth tone like 下. 一下 softens a verb into 'just briefly' - 看一下 means 'take a quick look'.
In a sentence
Děng yíxià, wǒ mǎshàng lái.
Wait a moment, I'll be right there.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "wait a moment" in Chinese?+
"wait a moment" in Mandarin Chinese is 等一下, pronounced děng yíxià. 一 (yī) changes to yí before a fourth tone like 下. 一下 softens a verb into 'just briefly' - 看一下 means 'take a quick look'.
What does 等一下 mean literally?+
等一下 breaks down as 等 (děng) = to wait, 一下 (yíxià) = a moment / briefly. Together it means "wait a moment".
How do I get the tones right in děng yíxià?+
一 (yī) changes to yí before a fourth tone like 下. 一下 softens a verb into 'just briefly' - 看一下 means 'take a quick look'.
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See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.