(děng) - to wait, to wait for in Mandarin
děngTraditional: 等
Translation
to wait, to wait for
Word origin
等 has the 竹 (bamboo) radical and 寺 (sì, office, temple) beneath it. It originally referred to bamboo slips of equal length used in record offices, hence 'equal, rank, class', and by extension 'to wait' and 'et cetera'.
- Origin
- ideograph
- Root
- 竹 (zhú, bamboo) + 寺 (sì, office)
Stroke order
等
Examples
。
Please wait a moment.
。
I am waiting for you.
,。
No need to wait - he is not coming.
。
I have waited for you an hour.
口。
Please wait at the door for a moment.
等 (děng) means to wait, to wait for. It is used as a verb in everyday Mandarin speech.
Where this fits
Appears in 3 words
Multi-character compounds in the corpus that contain 等.
Used in
Stories
(12)点错了
2 min read · Core 1000
错过公车
3 min read · Core 1000
大伟的工作
3 min read · Core 1000
看医生
3 min read · Core 1000
生日的惊喜
3 min read · Core 1000
新的医生
3 min read · Core 1000
最后的车
3 min read · Core 1000
错过的火车
5 min read · Core 5000
等了两个小时
5 min read · Core 5000
等了三年
5 min read · Core 5000
楼上的声音
5 min read · Core 5000
想起那个约定
5 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(11)Asking How + Adjective in Mandarin with 多: 多高, 多远, 多长, 多大
The Double 了 Sentence in Mandarin: 我学了三年中文了 and the Continuing-Action Pattern
Duration Complements in Mandarin (时量补语): How to Say How Long an Action Lasts
The Mandarin Durative 着 (zhe): Marking a State That Continues (门开着, 拿着书, 笑着说)
就 (jiù) vs 才 (cái) in Mandarin: Sooner Than Expected, Later Than Expected
The Two 了 in Mandarin: Completion 了 After the Verb vs Change-of-State 了 at the End
Mandarin Modal Verbs: 会, 想, 要, 应该, 可以, 能 and the Future-Intent Words 打算, 准备
Mandarin Requests and Imperatives: 请, 别, 不要, the Softening Particles 吧/啊, and Verb Reduplication
Mandarin Verb Reduplication: 看看, 看一看, 休息休息 and the 一下 Alternative
The Mandarin 于 (yú) Family: 对于, 关于, 由于, 至于, 属于, 位于, 终于
The Mandarin 者 (zhě) Suffix: 作者, 读者, 前者, and Naming the One Who Does It
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等: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "等" (to wait, to wait for): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 3.