Meaning
This common expression literally means 'wait a bit' and is used to ask someone to pause briefly. It combines 等 (to wait) with 一下, a grammatical particle that indicates a brief, casual action. It's one of the most frequently used phrases in daily conversation when you need someone to wait or when you need a moment yourself.
Usage
This is an informal, everyday expression used in casual contexts. You can use it when answering the phone, asking someone to pause while you finish something, or politely requesting a brief delay. It's softer and more colloquial than the more formal 请稍等 (qǐng shāo děng). Often shortened to just 等下 (děng xià) in very casual speech.
Examples
- 01等一下，我马上就来。, .Wait a moment, I'll be right there.
- 02你能等一下吗？我要接个电话。? .Can you wait a moment? I need to take a phone call.
Characters
Common collocations
- 等一下再说let's talk about it later
- 你等一下you wait a moment
- 让我等一下let me wait a moment
Origin
一下 is a common grammatical construction that softens verbs and indicates brevity or casualness of an action, similar to 'a bit' or 'once' in English.