Level 2 · Elementary
Softening with 一下
Verb + 一下
一下 (yíxià) after a verb makes the action quick, casual, and polite: 等一下 "wait a sec", 看一下 "take a quick look". It takes the pressure off a request the same way doubling the verb does — 看一下 ≈ 看看.
It's everywhere in daily speech: asking someone to check, try, wait, or introduce something briefly. The object comes after: 问一下老师 "ask the teacher real quick".
Examples
请等一下。
請等一下。
qǐng děng yī xià
Please wait a moment.
让我看一下。
讓我看一下。
ràng wǒ kàn yī xià
Let me take a quick look.
我去问一下老师。
我去問一下老師。
wǒ qù wèn yī xià lǎo shī
I'll go ask the teacher real quick.
请你介绍一下你自己。
請你介紹一下你自己。
qǐng nǐ jiè shào yī xià nǐ zì jǐ
Please introduce yourself briefly.
Common mistakes
✗ 请一下等。
✓ 请等一下。
一下 always follows the verb, never comes before it.
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like Checking into a Hotel (Part 1), A Small Room Problem (Part 3), The Big Box inside the Literate Chinese app.
