HSK Level 3

等待

děng dài

to wait for; to await

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Example Sentences

这是一场漫长的等待。

zhè shì yì chǎnɡ màn chánɡ de děnɡ dài .

It was a long wait.

他在等待他的女朋友。

tā zài děnɡ dài tā de nǚ pénɡ yǒu .

He's waiting for his girlfriend.

别再等待了。

bié zài děnɡ dài le .

Don't wait any longer.

Synonyms

等候 (děnghòu)

wait for

期待 (qídài)

expect

Antonyms

出发 (chūfā)

depart

离开 (líkāi)

leave

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 等待 (děng dài) for "to wait" is composed of two characters: 等 (děng) and 待 (dài). The character 等 originally meant "to be equal" or "to be the same", and it was often used in the sense of "to wait for someone or something to arrive". The character 待 originally meant "to treat" or "to entertain", and it was often used in the sense of "to wait for someone or something to happen". Over time, the two characters came to be used together to form the word 等待, which specifically means "to wait for". The word 等待 is commonly used in everyday speech and writing, and it can be used in a variety of contexts. For example, it can be used to talk about waiting for a bus, waiting for a friend, or waiting for a test result.