Express ‘etc.’ with ‘deng’ in Chinese

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.

"等等"，或只是"等"，跟英语里说"and so on"或"etc."类似，但是更为正式一点。两者都放于各种列举的项目之后。

Basic Structure

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.

基本的结构很简单。只是列举一些事物，然后在清单的最后加上"等"或者"等等"，这和英语里我们在_清单的最后使用"etc."是一样的。

A1, A2…等/等等

Examples

我们有茶、牛奶、可乐等。

wǒmen yǒu chá, niúnǎi, kělè děng.

We have tea, milk and Cola etc.

我喜欢看书、逛街、睡觉等。

wǒ xǐhuan kàn shū, guàngjiē, shuìjiào děng.

I like to read books, window-shop, sleep etc.

西瓜、菠萝、苹果、葡萄等等，都是我喜欢的水果。

xīguā, bōluó, píngguǒ, pútáo děngdeng, dōu shì wǒ xǐhuan de shuǐguǒ.

Watermelons, pineapples, apples, grapes and so on are all the fruits that I like.

上海、北京、深圳、香港等，我都去过。

Shànghǎi, Běijīng, Shēnzhèn, Xiānggǎng děng, wǒ dōu qù guò.

Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong etc., I have all been to.

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.

我有很多外国朋友，美国人、英国人、西班牙人等等。

wǒ yǒu hěn duō wàiguó péngyou, Měiguórén, Yīngguórén, Xībānyárén děngdeng.

I have a lot of foreign friends: Americans, British, Spanish, etc.

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 děngdeng.

My boyfriend can speak many foreign languages: English, French, Spanish, etc.

Usage before a Noun

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).

有时，"等"会跟在清单之后，再加上一个代表该清单的名词。比如，如果清单是关于一系列的国家，那"等"就会跟上"国家"。

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 Beijing scenic spots.

你带一些纸、笔等东西吧。

nǐ dài yī xiē zhǐ, bǐ děng dōngxī ba.

You bring some paper, pens and so on.

Translated from: allsetlearning

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