Definitions

děng (noun) class; rank; grade
děng (adjective) equal to; same as
děng (verb) to wait for; to await
děng (particle) et cetera; and so on

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and represents the sound.

About

等 (děng) is a phono-semantic compound with the semantic radical 竹 (zhú, "bamboo") at the top and the phonetic component 寺 (sì, "temple") at the bottom. The bamboo radical indicates the original meaning: bamboo tallies used by officials to sort and classify people or items into ranks. From this sense of systematic ordering, the meaning extended to "equal" or "same level", and later developed into the common verb "to wait", as well as a particle meaning "and so on".

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我一下

Qǐng děng wǒ yīxià

Please wait for me a moment.

我们在朋友

Wǒmen zài děng péngyou

We are waiting for friends.

了三小时

Tā děng le sān xiǎoshí

He waited for three hours.

别着急

Děng děng bié zháojí

Wait, don't hurry.

我需要笔纸

Wǒ xūyào bǐ zhǐ děng děng

I need pens, paper, and so on.

耐心待机会

Nàixīn děngdài jīhuì

Patiently wait for opportunities.

如果你不及可以先离开

Rúguǒ nǐ děng bù jí kěyǐ xiān líkāi

If you can't wait, you can leave first.

这些产品分为三个

Zhèxiē chǎnpǐn fēn wéi sān gè děngjí

These products are divided into three grades.