Verbing briefly with "yixia"

After briefly reading this article, you will know how to use 一下 (yīxià) to express a brief action!

Structure

To express that a verb is carried out briefly or "a little bit," you can add 一下 (yīxià) after it. Sometimes 一下 (yīxià) can soften the tone.

Subject + Verb + 一下 + Object

Often, adding 一下 (yīxià) just makes the Chinese feel more natural. This is not something you can get a feel for quickly. You'll want to observe how native speakers use 一下 (yīxià) over a long period of time to really get used to how it is used.

Examples

• 请 你 等 一下 。 (You get the feeling that it shouldn't be a long wait.)Qǐng nǐ děng yīxià. Please wait a little bit.
• 你 看 一下 。 (It should be quick.)Nǐ kān yīxià. Take a look.
• 请 你 读 一下 。 (It's just a sentence, not a whole novel.)Qǐng nǐ dú yīxià. Can you please read it.
• 我 听 一下 。 (You get the feeling that it shouldn't take long.)Wǒ tīng yīxià. I'll have a listen.
• 试 一下 。 (How long can trying it take??)Shì yīxià. Try it.
• 我 要 想 一下 。 (You're supposed to believe that I won't need to think about it long.)Wǒ yào xiǎng yīxià. I want to think a little.
• 请 你 说 一下 为什么 。 (I feel it should be a quick explanation.)Qǐng nǐ shuō yīxià wèishénme. Please say why.
• 不 要 哭 了 ， 笑 一下 ！ (Just one quick laugh!)Bù yào kū le, xiào yīxià! Don't cry, laugh!
• 宝宝 ， 亲 一下 爸爸 。 (If a baby's kiss isn't quick, it's weird for everyone.)Bǎobǎo, qīn yīxià bàba. Baby, give your dad a kiss.
• 开 一下 窗 吧 。 (How long can it take to open the window?)Kāi yīxià chuāng bā. Please open the window.
• 写 一下 这 个 字 。 (Just write it down real quick.)Xiě yīxià zhè gè zì. Please write down this character.
• 你 能 介绍 一下 自己 吗 ？ (Not your life story, just a brief self-introduction.)Nǐ néng jièshào yīxià zìjǐ ma? Could you introduce yourself briefly?

See also

• Verb reduplication with yi
• Verb reduplication

Sources and further reading

• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 126) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课上册） (p. 206)→buy