Verbing briefly with "yixia"

Revision as of 06:14, 29 November 2013 by Loganp (talk | contribs) (→‎Examples)
Chinese-grammar-wiki-yixia.jpg

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 after it. Sometimes 一下 can soften the tone.

Subject + Verb + 一下 + Object

Often, adding 一下 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 over a long period of time to really get used to how it is used.

Examples

  • 你 看 一下Take a quick look.
  • 请 你 读 一下Can you please read a bit of it.
  • 我 听 一下 音乐。I'll listen to some music.
  • 你 尝 一下 这 个 菜。Have a little taste of this dish.
  • 我 要 试 一下 这 件 衣服。I want to try on this article of clothing.
  • 你 可以 帮 我 做 一下 这 个 工作 吗?Can you please help me with this work?
  • 你 让 我 想 一下"You" is implied as the subjectLet me think a little.
  • 帮 我 修 一下 电脑 吧。Please help me repair my computer.
  • 不 要 哭 了,笑 一下Don't cry, laugh!
  • 宝宝,亲 一下 爸爸。Baby, give your dad a kiss.
  • 你 等 一下Wait a bit!

See also

Sources and further reading