等候

• Pinyin: děng hòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 等 = 竹 (bamboo) + 寺 (temple); 候 = 亻(person) + 侯 (marquis)

Meaning

To wait; to await. To stay in one place expecting someone or something.

More formal than 等, often used in service contexts like 等候室 (waiting room) or 等候区 (waiting area). Implies patient, respectful waiting rather than casual waiting.

Examples

1. 旅客们在候机大厅等候登机通知。 Passengers are waiting in the departure hall for the boarding announcement.
2. 请在等候区稍坐，医生马上就来。 Please have a seat in the waiting area — the doctor will be here shortly.
3. 他在雨中等候了两个小时，终于等到了她。 He waited in the rain for two hours and finally waited for her.

Usage Guide

Context: service, formal, travel

Tone: polite

Do Say

• 请稍等候。(Please wait a moment.)
• 感谢您的耐心等候。(Thank you for your patient waiting.)

Don't Say

• '等候'较正式——朋友间说'等我一下'比'等候我一下'更自然 (等候 is formal — among friends, 等我一下 is more natural than 等候我一下)

Origin & History

Compound of 等 (to wait) + 候 (to wait, time), both characters meaning to wait, creating an emphatic compound.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal