Use ‘yi xia’ to express a brief action in Chinese

After briefly reading this article, you will know how to use 一下 (yīxià) to express a brief action!

读"一下"这篇文章，你就会知道如何用"一下"去表达一个短暂的动作。

To express that a verb is carried out briefly or "a little bit," you can add 一下 (yīxià) after it. Sometimes 一下 (yīxià) can soften the tone.

要想表达一个动词短暂或"一点点"地执行，你可以在它后面加上"一下"。有时"一下"可以缓和语气。

Subj. + Verb + 一下 + Obj.

Often, adding 一下 (yīxià) just makes the Chinese feel more natural. This is not something you can get a feel for quickly. You'll need to observe how native speakers use 一下 (yīxià) over a long period of time to really get used to how it is used.

加上"一下"常常会让中国人感到更加自然，你未必能马上感受到。你需要长时间观察中国人是如何使用"一下"之后才会适应它的用法。

Examples

请你等一下。

qǐng nǐ děng yīxià.

Please wait a little bit.

(You get the feeling that it shouldn't be a long wait. 你可以感觉到不会等太久。)

你看一下。

nǐ kàn yīxià.

Take a look.

(It should be quick. 很快就结束。)

我要想一下。

wǒ yào xiǎng yīxià.

I want to think a little.

(I won't need to think about it long. 我不会思考很久。)

开一下门吧。

kāi yīxià mén ba.

Please open the door.

(How long can it take to open the door? 开门需要很久吗？)

请你说一下为什么。

qǐng nǐ shuō yīxià wèishénme.

Please say why.

(It should be a quick explanation. 这应该是很短的解释。)

不要生气了，笑一下！

bù yào shēngqì le, xiào yīxià!

Don't be mad, laugh!

(Just one quick laugh! 就迅速地笑！)

你可以来一下我的办公室吗？

nǐ kěyǐ lái yīxià wǒ de bàngōngshì ma?

Could you please come to my office?

(Just come real quick. 快点过来。)

你能介绍一下自己吗？

nǐ néng jièshào yīxià zìjǐ ma?

Could you introduce yourself briefly?

(Not your life story, just a brief self-introduction. 不是你的人生传记，就是很简短的自我介绍。)

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