v.
To arrange bamboo slips evenly into neat stacks. To wait, await, or hold on for someone or something. Bamboo slips (竹) lined up in order at a temple (寺) — you wait for your turn.
等
prep.
and so on; etc.; after (an event)
part.
etc.; and so on
n., m.
class; grade; rank
Common Usage & Traps
- 等朋友 — wait for a friend
- 等一下 — hold on / wait a moment
- 等我一下 — wait for me a moment
- 等一会儿 — wait a little while
- 等车 — wait for a bus or car
- 等你电话 — wait for your call
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等看电影等着看电影等 alone does not usually take a bare verb phrase for 'wait to watch'; add 着 or use an object/time phrase.
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等一下我等我一下When you name the person, put 我 right after 等; 等一下 works alone.
Is it 等我一下 or 等一下我 when you want someone to wait for you?
Say 等我一下; 等一下我 sounds like a word-order slip.
等一下 works fine when you do not name the person in the sentence. Once you add 我, Chinese wants that person right after 等. The natural pattern is 等我一下, not 等一下我; use 等一下 alone for a quick hold on.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Wait for me | 等我一下 | 等一下我 |
Does 我在等朋友看电影 mean we will watch the movie together?
Usually yes, because 等朋友 sets up a shared plan; add 一起 if you want zero ambiguity.
等朋友看电影 often means I am waiting for my friend so we can watch together. It can also sound like I am waiting while my friend watches the movie. If the joint plan matters, say 等朋友一起看电影. “我在等朋友看电影。” (I'm waiting for a friend to go see a movie.) ── [《你喜欢看老电影吗？》](/read/do-you-like-old-movies#s4)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Clear joint plan | 等朋友一起看电影 | 等朋友看电影 (can be ambiguous) |
Can 等 mean 'when' in a sentence like 等我到了给你打电话?
Yes, 等 often means 'when' for a future moment before something happens.
等我到了给你打电话 uses 等 to mark the moment I arrive. English says when I arrive; Chinese uses 等 to show waiting for that future point. It is not a question word like 什么时候.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Future timing | 等我到了给你打电话 | 我到了给你打电话 (loses the wait-until nuance) |
Can 等 mean 'etc.' after a list?
Yes, after a list 等 means 'and so on'; it is not 'wait' there.
When 等 follows a short list of examples, it means etc. in English. You often see it before a noun like 苹果、香蕉等水果. Do not read it as wait in that pattern.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| After a list | 苹果、香蕉等水果 | 苹果、香蕉水果 (missing 等) |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.
- Scene #1
我在 等 朋友看电影。
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