dang2 jat1 dang2等一等
Jyutpingdang2 jat1 dang2
Yaledáng yāt dáng
Definition
To wait a moment.
colloquialdaily actionstime
How it's used
This phrase is the standard way to ask for a short pause in conversation or action. While it sounds polite, adding a particle like 呀 or 啦 at the end makes it sound much softer and less like a command. It is often shortened to just 等等 in very casual speech.
Examples
Can you wait a moment?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 稍等, which is perfectly correct but sounds much more formal or service oriented, like something a shop assistant would say to a customer. Using 稍等 with friends can sound overly stiff or distant.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
