等

• Pinyin: děng
• Hanzi breakdown: 等 = 竹 (bamboo) + 寺 (temple) — originally 'equal, rank,' extended to 'to wait'

Meaning

To wait; to wait for. Used when staying in place or pausing until something happens.

Common patterns include 等一下 (wait a moment), 等人 (wait for someone), and 等到 (wait until). Can also mean 'et cetera' after a list (书、笔等), but the primary HSK1 meaning is 'to wait.'

Examples

1. 请等一下。 Please wait a moment.
2. 我在这里等你。 I'll wait for you here.
3. 我们等了很长时间。 We waited for a very long time.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, request

Tone: polite

Do Say

• 请等我一下。(Please wait for me a moment.)
• 我们在门口等你。(We'll wait for you at the entrance.)

Don't Say

• 等等我在这里 (Word order is off — say 在这里等等我 or 在这里等我一下)

Origin & History

Composed of 竹 (bamboo) and 寺 (temple) — originally meant 'equal, grade' from bamboo tallies used for ranking. The meaning 'to wait' developed later.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal