dang2等
Jyutpingdang2
Yaledáng
Definition
To wait, or to leave a task for someone.
- to wait; to stay in a place or state until something happens
- to leave a task to a specific person
Example
colloquialdaily actionstime
How it's used
Beyond the literal sense of waiting for a person or event, this verb is frequently used to mean leaving a task or responsibility for someone else to handle. It often appears in the structure 等人做, implying that the speaker is delegating or deferring the action to another party. When used as a command or suggestion, it is almost always paired with the particle 陣 to soften the tone.
Examples
Wait here for a moment, I'll go buy a coffee.
How much longer are you going to wait before you're willing to leave?
Related words
Common mistake
Beginners often confuse this with 候, which is strictly literary and never used in spoken Cantonese. Additionally, avoid using it to mean 'to expect' in the sense of anticipating a result, as that typically requires other verbs like 預期 or 諗住.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
