等 (děng) — to wait for; et cetera; and so on; (preposition) after; as soon as; once
Definition
At HSK 2, 等 is the basic everyday verb 'to wait for' and the common 'etc.' in lists. As a preposition in '等他来了…' it just means 'once/when'.
verb
to wait foret ceteraand so on
preposition
afteras soon asonce
Examples
- 等。Wǒ zài xué xiào mén kǒu děng nǐ.I'm waiting for you at the school gate.
- 、等。Wǒ xǐ huan chī píng guǒ, xiāng jiāo děng shuǐ guǒ.I like eating apples, bananas, and other fruits.
- 等，。děng Tā lái le, wǒ men jiù zǒu.After he comes, we'll leave.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
The top 竹 shows bamboo strips used for writing and sorting; the bottom 寺 once gave the sound, but now sounds different.
Grammar
Appears in
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