How to Use 等到 || Expressing When in Chinese

Q: How do you structure a sentence with 等到?

The common structure is 等到 + Time/Event + 再/就 + Action . 等到他回来，我们再讨论。 When he comes back, we’ll discuss it.

Q: Can 等到 be used at the beginning of a phrase?

Yes! It often introduces a clause, like: 等到夏天，我们就去旅行。 When summer comes, we will travel.

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HOW TO USE 等到

等到 (dèng dào) is a versatile expression in Chinese used to indicate a specific time or condition when something happens.

It translates to when, by the time, or until in English, depending on the context.

WAITING FOR A SPECIFIC TIME TO ACT

In this case of waiting for a specific time to act, 等到 marks a specific time. It emphasises that something is delayed or conditioned by reaching that particular moment.

When you use 等到 in this context, you are referring to an event or a time in the future.
The action happens when the specified time arrives.

^{Wǒmen děng dào tàiyáng xiàshān hòu cái huí jiā.}

我们等到太阳下山后才回家。

_{We waited until the sun set before going home.}

View More Examples:

我等到他回复了我的消息才开始做饭。	Wǒ děng dào tā huífù le wǒ de xiāoxī cái kāishǐ zuò fàn.	I waited until he replied to my message before starting to cook.
等到明天我们再讨论这个问题。	Děng dào míngtiān wǒmen zài tǎolùn zhège wèntí.	We’ll discuss this issue tomorrow.
她等到最后一刻才决定是否去旅行。	Tā děng dào zuìhòu yī kè cái juédìng shìfǒu qù lǚxíng.	She waited until the last moment to decide whether to go on the trip.
我们等到车停了才下车。	Wǒmen děng dào chē tíng le cái xià chē.	We waited until the car stopped before getting out.
等到火车到站，我就去接你。	Děng dào huǒchē dào zhàn, wǒ jiù qù jiē nǐ.	I will wait for the train to arrive, then I’ll go pick you up.
他等到三点钟才离开办公室。	Tā děng dào sān diǎn zhōng cái líkāi bàngōngshì.	He waited until 3 o’clock before leaving the office.
等到大家都到齐，我们开始开会。	Děng dào dàjiā dōu dào qí, wǒmen kāishǐ kāihuì.	We will start the meeting when everyone arrives.

WAITING FOR A CONDITION TO BE MET

In this case, 等到 is used to wait for a condition or event to occur before taking action. It suggests that the event or situation must first occur before the next step can happen.

Here, 等到 emphasizes waiting for a certain condition (whether it’s physical or emotional) to be fulfilled.
Only then will the following action or change take place.

^{Wǒmen děng dào dàjiā dōu ānjìng xiàlái, cáinéng kāishǐ shàngkè.}

我们等到大家都安静下来，才能开始上课。

_{We waited until everyone quieted down before starting the class.}

View More Examples:

他等到船开走后才离开港口。	Tā děng dào chuán kāi zǒu hòu cái líkāi gǎngkǒu.	He waited until the boat had left before leaving the port.
你必须等到病情稳定下来才能出院。	Nǐ bìxū děng dào bìngqíng wěndìng xiàlái cái néng chūyuàn.	You must wait until your condition stabilizes before being discharged.
我们得等到孩子们完成作业后才能出去玩。	Wǒmen děi děng dào háizimen wánchéng zuòyè hòu cái néng chūqù wán.	We have to wait until the kids finish their homework before we can go out to play.
等到夏天，气温才会变得温暖。	Děng dào xiàtiān, qìwēn cái huì biàn dé wēnnuǎn.	It won’t get warm until summer.
我等到他沉默下来才敢继续谈话。	Wǒ děng dào tā chénmò xiàlái cái gǎn jìxù tánhuà.	I waited until he became quiet before daring to continue the conversation.
等到菜做好了，我们就可以开动了。	Děng dào cài zuò hǎo le, wǒmen jiù kěyǐ kāidòng le.	We will start eating when the food is ready.
他们等到房间整理好才开始接待客人。	Tāmen děng dào fángjiān zhěnglǐ hǎo cái kāishǐ jiēdài kèrén.	They waited until the room was organized before receiving the guests.

EXPRESSING A DELAY, POSTPONEMENT

In this case, 等到 suggests a delay or postponement. The action will only occur after a certain time or condition has been met.

等到 in this context often highlights that something is postponed or needs to be delayed until a certain time arrives or condition is fulfilled.

^{Wǒmen děng dào jiàgé xiàjiàng zài juédìng shìfǒu gòumǎi.}

我们等到价格下降再决定是否购买。

_{We’ll decide whether to buy after the price drops.}

View More Examples:

我们只能等到下次会议才有机会讨论这个问题。	Wǒmen zhǐ néng děng dào xià cì huìyì cái yǒu jīhuì tǎolùn zhège wèntí.	We can only wait until the next meeting to discuss this issue.
等到下个月他才会回来。	Děng dào xià gè yuè tā cái huì huílái.	He won’t return until next month.
我们必须等到项目完成才能提交报告。	Wǒmen bìxū děng dào xiàngmù wánchéng cái néng tíjiāo bàogào.	We have to wait until the project is completed before submitting the report.
等到那时，你已经不再需要我了。	Děng dào nà shí, nǐ yǐjīng bù zài xūyào wǒ le.	By then, you won’t need me anymore.
等到明年我们再考虑这个问题。	Děng dào míngnián wǒmen zài kǎolǜ zhège wèntí.	We’ll reconsider this issue next year.
我会等到他们处理完这件事再和他们说话。	Wǒ huì děng dào tāmen chǔlǐ wán zhè jiàn shì zài hé tāmen shuōhuà.	I will wait until they finish handling this matter before speaking to them.
他等到月底才把钱还给我。	Tā děng dào yuèdǐ cái bǎ qián huán gěi wǒ.	He will return the money at the end of the month.

FUTURE EVENT, HYPOTHETICAL

In these situations, “等到” refers to a future event or a hypothetical situation.

The action depends on something that will happen or is planned to happen in the future.

^{Děng dào wǒmen dào le jīchǎng, wǒ huì dǎ diànhuà gěi nǐ.}

等到我们到了机场，我会打电话给你。

_{I will call you when we arrive at the airport.}

View More Examples:

等到你有空，我们可以一起去看电影。	Děng dào nǐ yǒu kòng, wǒmen kěyǐ yīqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng.	We can go to the movies when you have free time.
我们等到明年再决定是否去度假。	Wǒmen děng dào míngnián zài juédìng shìfǒu qù dùjià.	We will decide whether to go on vacation next year.
等到他准备好了，我们就开始工作。	Děng dào tā zhǔnbèi hǎo le, wǒmen jiù kāishǐ gōngzuò.	We will start working once he is ready.
等到夏天，我会去旅行。	Děng dào xiàtiān, wǒ huì qù lǚxíng.	I will travel when summer comes.
等到他们答应了，我们就可以开始计划了。	Děng dào tāmen dāyìng le, wǒmen jiù kěyǐ kāishǐ jìhuà le.	Once they agree, we can start planning.
等到你搬家，我会帮你收拾东西。	Děng dào nǐ bān jiā, wǒ huì bāng nǐ shōushí dōngxi.	I will help you pack when you move.
等到下周他回来的时候，我们再讨论这个问题。	Děng dào xià zhōu tā huílái de shíhòu, wǒmen zài tǎolùn zhège wèntí.	We will discuss this issue when he returns next week.

FIGURATIVE OR IDIOMATIC USAGE

In a figurative or idiomatic sense, 等到 may describe an unlikely scenario or a very distant future event.

This use is often metaphorical or used to express situations where something might happen only in an extreme case or a distant future.

^{Wǒ děng dào tiānhuāng dìlǎo yě bù huì fàngqì de.}

我等到天荒地老也不会放弃的。

_{I will never give up, even if I wait forever.}

View More Examples:

我等到天荒地老也不会放弃的。	Wǒ děng dào tiānhuāng dìlǎo yě bù huì fàngqì de.	I will never give up, even if I wait forever.
等到猴年马月，我可能也不会得到这个职位。	Děng dào hóu nián mǎ yuè, wǒ kěnéng yě bù huì dédào zhège zhíwèi.	I might never get this job, even if I wait until the moon turns blue.
等到不可能的时候，我才会接受这个提议。	Děng dào bù kěnéng de shíhòu, wǒ cái huì jiēshòu zhège tíyì.	I’ll accept the proposal only when it becomes impossible.
他等到千年之后才醒来。	Tā děng dào qiān nián zhīhòu cái xǐng lái.	He woke up a thousand years later.
等到太阳不再升起时，我才会放弃我的梦想。	Děng dào tàiyáng bù zài shēng qǐ shí, wǒ cái huì fàngqì wǒ de mèngxiǎng.	I will give up on my dreams only when the sun stops rising.
我们等到雨停了再去森林探险。	Wǒmen děng dào yǔ tíng le zài qù sēnlín tànxiǎn.	We will go on a forest adventure when the rain stops.
等到你了解了，你就不会再害怕了。	Děng dào nǐ liǎojiě le, nǐ jiù bù huì zài hàipà le.	Once you understand, you won’t be scared anymore.
等到他们做出决定时，事情已经结束了。	Děng dào tāmen zuòchū juédìng shí, shìqíng yǐjīng jiéshù le.	By the time they made a decision, it was already over.

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FAQs

What is the difference between 等到 and 等?

等到 emphasizes waiting until a specific time or event happens, while 等 simply means “to wait.”

How do you structure a sentence with 等到?

The common structure is 等到 + Time/Event + 再/就 + Action.

等到他回来，我们再讨论。
When he comes back, we’ll discuss it.

Can 等到 be used with past events?

No, 等到 is typically used for future events, indicating that something will happen after a certain time.

Is there a difference between 等到 and 直到?

Yes!

等到 focuses on when an action starts, while 直到 emphasizes when an action continues until a specific point.

Can 等到 be used at the beginning of a phrase?

Yes! It often introduces a clause, like:

等到夏天，我们就去旅行。
When summer comes, we will travel.

Can I take Chinese classes with LTL?

Yes! We offer Chinese courses in 8 destinations across Asia.

Have a look at all of our language courses here.

Chinese Grammar Bank

HOW TO USE 等到

WAITING FOR A SPECIFIC TIME TO ACT

WAITING FOR A CONDITION TO BE MET

EXPRESSING A DELAY, POSTPONEMENT

FUTURE EVENT, HYPOTHETICAL

FIGURATIVE OR IDIOMATIC USAGE

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FAQs

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