Comparing "deng" and "dengdeng"
等 (děng) and 等等 (děngděng) both mean “and so on” or “etc.” Both can be used in formal and in informal contexts. While they can often be used interchangeably, both have distinct uses.
| 等 (děng) | 等等 (děngděng) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | and so on, etc. | and so on, etc. |
| Part of Speech | auxiliary | auxiliary |
| Formality | flexible | flexible |
Contents
Both 等 and 等等 be used at the end of a sentence
They both mean "et cetera" or "and so on" in this usage. Either one is fine.
- 她 喜欢的 运动 有 游泳、跑步、瑜伽 等。 Her favorite sports are swimming, running, yoga, etc.
- 这个 动物园 里 有 很 多 野生 动物 ， 老虎、狮子等等 。 This zoo has many wild animals, tigers, lions and so on.
- 明天 我 要 去 骑行， 我 需要 准备 很多 东西 ， 比如 说 自行车 ， 头盔 和 吃的东西 等等 。 Tomorrow I am going for a ride and I need to prepare a lot of things, such as a bike, helmet and food.
- 他 有 很多 缺点，懒、不 爱 运动、爱 吃 垃圾 食品 等。 He has many disadvantages, such as laziness, lack of exercise, and love of junk food.
- 我 喜欢 看 小说、电影、纪录片，等等。 I like to read novels, movies, documentaries, and so on.
- 我 姐姐 给 她的 孩子 报 了 很多 兴趣班，比如 说 书法班、美术班、舞蹈班、音乐班， 等等。 My sister has enrolled her children in many interest classes, such as calligraphy, art, dance, music, and so on.
- 我们 公司的 优势 是 什么？我们 有 政府的 支持，我们 有 不加班的 文化，我们 有 有趣的 同事，等等。 What are the advantages of our company? We have the support of the government, we have a culture of no overtime, we have interesting colleagues, and so on.
- 这个 房子 有 很多 东西 ： 电视 、 电脑 、 电冰箱 等等 。 The house has a lot of things: TV, computer, refrigerator and so on.
Only 等 can be used in the middle of a sentence
等 can come in the middle of a sentence, either before a comma (where it means "etc.") or before a noun which explains what types of things one is listing.
- 饺子 、 包子 、 面 等 ， 我 都 喜欢 吃。 I like to eat dumplings, dumplings, noodles, etc.
- 我 去 过 法国、英国、泰国 等 国家。 I have been to France, England, Thailand and other countries.
- 这个 列车 终点站 是 深圳，我们 会 路过 石家庄、郑州、武汉、长沙 等 地方。 This train ends in Shenzhen, we will pass through Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Changsha and other places.
- 我们 公司 有 采购部 、 财务 部 、 销售 部 和 人事 部 等 部门 。 Our company has a purchasing department, a finance department, a sales department and a personnel department.
- 联合国 有 汉语、英语、法语、俄语、西班牙语、阿拉伯语 等 六 种 工作 语言。 The United Nations has six working languages: Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic.
