Non-exhaustive lists with "dengdeng"

等等 (děng děng), or simply 等 (děng), is just like saying “and so on” or “etc.” in English, but just a bit more formal. Both are placed after listing a series of items (generally with a list that exceeds two items).

Basic Usage

The basic structure is easy. Just make a list of things, and add 等 (děng) or 等等 (děng děng) to the end of the list. It's the same as in English when we use "etc." at the end of a list.

Structure

A1，A2⋯⋯等 / 等等

Examples

• 西瓜、菠萝、苹果、葡萄 等等 都 是 我 喜欢 的 水果 。 Xīguā, bōluó, píngguǒ, pútáo děngděng dōu shì wǒ xǐhuan de shuǐguǒ.Watermelons, pineapples, apples, grapes and so on are all the fruits that I like.
• 我 的 男朋友 会 说 很 多 外语 ， 英语、法语、西班牙语 等等 。 Wǒ de nánpéngyou huì shuō hěn duō wàiyǔ, Yīngyǔ, Fǎyǔ, Xībānyáyǔ děngděng.My boyfriend can speak many foreign languages: English, French, Spanish, etc.
• 我 很 喜欢 运动，比如 跑步、游泳、做瑜伽 等等 。Wǒ hěn xǐhuan yùndòng, bǐrú pǎobù, yóuyǒng, zuò yújiā děngděng.I like exercising very much, for example, running, swimming, doing yoga, etc.
• 我们 公司 有 好几 个 部门，市场部、客户部、技术部 等 。Wǒmen gōngsī yǒu hǎojǐ gè bùmén, shìchǎng bù, kèhù bù, jìshù bù děng.Our company has several departments: marketing department, client department, technology department, etc.
• Jackie Chan、Jet Li、Bruce Li 等 都 是 中国 有名 的 功夫 明星 。 Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce Li děng dōu shì Zhōngguó yǒumíng de gōngfu míngxīng.Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce Li, etc. are all famous Chinese martial arts stars.

Used before Certain Category

Occasionally, 等 (děng) is added to the end of a list and is followed by a noun that represents the list. For example, if the list is a series of countries, 等 (děng) would be followed by 国家 (guójiā).

Structure

A1，A2⋯⋯等 + [Category]

Examples

• 长城、故宫 等 地方 都 是 北京 有名 的 景点 。 Chángchéng, Gùgōng děng dìfang dōu shì Běijīng yǒumíng de jǐngdiǎn.The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, etc. are all famous scenic spots in Beijing.
• 北京、上海、广州 等 城市 是 中国 最 发达 的 城市 。Běijīng, Shànghǎi, Guǎngzhōu děng chéngshì shì Zhōngguó zuì fādá de chéngshì.Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and so on are the most developed cities in China.
• 牛津、剑桥 等 大学 都 是 最 有名 的 英国 大学 。Niújīn, Jiànqiáo děng dàxué dōu shì zuì yǒumíng de Yīngguó dàxué.Oxford, Cambridge and so on are the most famous British Universities.
• 中国、印度、巴西 等 国家 都 不 是 发达 国家 。Zhōngguó, Yìndù, Bāxī děng guójiā dōu bù shì fādá guójiā.China, India, Brazil and so on are not developed countries.
• WTO, WHO 等 组织 都 是 国际 组织。 WTO, WHO děng zǔzhī dōu shì guójì zǔzhī.WTO, WHO and so on are all international organizations.

See also

• Ending a Non-Exhaustive List with "shenme de"
• "Stuff like that" with "zhileide"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 304) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy