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等待 (děng dài) — to wait; to wait for in Mandarin

děng dài
to wait; to wait for

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#1464 most common word · HSK 5 · CEFR B2

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Tone breakdown

等待 is pronounced děng dài. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

děng
third tone (low dipping, ˇ)
dài
fourth tone (sharp falling, ˋ)

In a sentence

Wǒ zài ménkǒu děng dài nǐ de dàolái.

I'm waiting for your arrival at the door.

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Frequently asked questions

What does 等待 mean?+

等待 (děng dài) means "to wait; to wait for" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 等待?+

等待 is pronounced děng dài. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping), then the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 等待 in Mandarin?+

等待 is the #1464 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Where 等待 fits

HSK 5 · CEFR B2
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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.