停停 (tíng tíng) — (colloquial adverbial) by and by, after a while… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Reduplicated 停 used as a colloquial adverb meaning 'after a while, in a little while' — softens the sentence, telling the listener to be patient or wait.

bound form

(colloquial adverbial) by and byafter a whilein a little while

Examples

，停停。
Zhè jiàn shì bù jí, wǒ men tíng tíng zài shuō.
This matter is not urgent, we'll talk about it later.
停停。
tíng tíng Nǐ zì rán huì míng bai de.
After a while, you'll naturally understand.
，停停。
Bié zháo jí, tíng tíng chē zi jiù lái le.
Don't worry, the car will come in a little while.

Origin

Reduplicated word

构词法gòucífǎ

重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

停 means stop, and the doubled form suggests waiting a little while.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻亭停

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

亭

亭tíng停tíng

Same sound today

The left side 亻 is a person, and the right side 亭 gives the sound tíng; this forms 停.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻亭停

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

亭

亭tíng停tíng

Same sound today

The left side 亻 is a person, and the right side 亭 gives the sound tíng; this forms 停.

Appears in

Time (Abstract)

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