How to say “wait a moment” in Chinese
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
等一下，我马上来。
Děng yíxià, wǒ mǎshàng lái.
Wait a moment, I'll be right there.
Hear it and say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio and scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
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'.
More phrases like this
Master the tones behind it
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
Coming to iOS & Android
The mobile app is on the way. The trainer works right now.
ToneDeck for iPhone and Android is launching soon, and your progress syncs across every device. Meanwhile the full tone trainer runs in your browser today — no install, free to start.
See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.