等等 (děng děng) — to wait a moment, to hold on

Definition

Spoken interjection meaning 'wait a moment / hold on' — used to pause a conversation. Not the written 'etc.' (etcetera).

verb

to wait a momentto hold on

等等，。
Qǐng děng děng, wǒ mǎ shàng jiù lái.
Please wait a moment, I'll be right there.
等等，。
děng děng, Wǒ hái méi shuō wán ne.
Hold on, I haven't finished speaking yet.
等等，。
Nǐ děng děng, wǒ qù ná yí xià yào shi.
Wait a moment, I'll go get the keys.

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.

The two 等 together suggest waiting a little or listing items.

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.

竹寺等

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

寺

寺sì等děng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top 竹 shows bamboo strips used for writing and sorting; the bottom 寺 once gave the sound, but now sounds different.