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, only 等 comes before nouns.
| 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. Aside from the end of a sentence, it's also OK to use both before a mid-sentence comma.
- 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, such as tigers, lions, etc.
- 饺子 、 包子 、 面 等 ， 我 都 喜欢 吃。 I like to eat stuff like dumplings, dumplings, noodles, etc.
- 这个 房子 有 很 多 东西 ： 电视 、 电脑 、 电冰箱 等等 。 The house has a lot of stuff in it: TV, computer, refrigerator, 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.
- 我 喜欢 看 小说、电影、纪录片等等。 I like to read novels, movies, documentaries, 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 strengths of our company? We have the support of the government, we have a culture of no overtime, we have interesting colleagues, and so on.
Note on punctuation: a comma sometimes precedes 等等 but not 等.
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. The 等 also normally implies that there are others not listed.
- 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 procurement, finance, sales and HR departments, among others.
Occasionally you'll also see 等 after a list of things even when all have been listed, and no "etc." is technically needed:
- 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.
Sources and further reading
Books
- 《对外汉语教学语法》 齐沪扬 复旦大学出版社 第149页
