Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 一下
Have you wanted to say that you’re doing something briefly or for a short period of time?
Statements like “Let me briefly introduce myself”, and “Take a look at this briefly” can be made using 一下 (yíxià).
一下 TO MEAN “BRIEFLY”
When you want to say that an action is happening for a short period or in the action occurs for a little bit, 一下 is the easiest form to use.
The plus side to using 一下 is that it often softens the tone and adds a natural feel to your speech.
一下 is placed after the verb and before the object. You will find that in some cases the object is omitted.
一下 will give you the sense that the action won’t or must not take long.
The use of 一下 here is similar to the way the reduplication of verbs works.
PATTERN
(Subject +) Verb + 一下 (+Object)
请看一下。
Please take a look (at this briefly).我来介绍一下自己。
Let me introduce myself (briefly).View More Phrases
| chinese | pinyin | english |
|---|---|---|
| 他想试一下这件衬衣。 | tā xiǎng shì yíxià zhè jiàn chènyī. | He wants to try on this shirt. |
| 休息一下。 | xiūxí yíxià. | Rest for a while./Take a break. |
| 我们拍照片吧。笑一下。 | wǒmen pāi zhàopiàn ba. xiào yíxià. | Let’s take a picture. Smile. |
| 请等一下，我马上回来。 | qǐng děng yíxià, wǒ mǎshàng huílái. | Please wait (a bit), I’ll be back quickly. |
| 帮我数一下。 | qǐng bāng wǒ shǔ yíxià. | Please help me count. |
| 请来说一下你的意见。 | qǐng lái shuō yíxià nǐ de yìjiàn. | Please give your suggestion. |
| 过来一下。 | guòlái yíxià. | Come here (for a bit). |
一下 TO MEAN “IN A SHORT WHILE”
一下 can be used to talk about how quickly something happens.
The action usually happens in a very short period. You can also use 一下子 (yíxiàzi) here.
You can understand it as “suddenly”, “(all) at once”, “right away”, “quickly” etc. In case something happens naturally and quickly, 就 (jiù) is added after 一下/一下子.
一下 can be used as a conjunction (一下…一下…)to mean that one moment something happens, and the next moment something else happens.
PATTERN
Subject + 一下/一下子 (+就) + Predicate + 了
他们一下子结婚了。
They suddenly got married.他昨天一下子死了。
He died suddenly yesterday.View More Phrases
| chinese | piniyin | english |
|---|---|---|
| 我看你的时候，我一下子爱上了你。 | wǒ kàn nǐ de shíhòu, wǒ yíxiàzi ài shàngle nǐ. | When I saw you, I fell in love with you right away. |
| 他的眼睛一下子开了起来。 | tā de yǎnjīng yíxiàzi kāile qǐlái. | His eyes opened suddenly. |
| 叫他以后，他一下子就跳上了讲台。 | jiào tā yǐhòu, tā yíxiàzi jiù tiào shàngle jiǎngtái. | After calling him, he hopped onto the podium right away. |
| 几个星期一下子就过去了。 | jǐ gè xīngqí yíxiàzi jiù guòqùle. | The weeks went by so quickly. |
| 你说话的时候我一下子记得我想了说的。 | nǐ shuōhuà de shíhòu wǒ yíxiàzi jìdé wǒ xiǎngle shuō de. | When you were speaking, I remembered what I wanted to say. |
| 为什么很多人一下子想要认识我？ | wèishénme hěnduō rén yíxiàzi xiǎng yào rènshí wǒ? | Why do many people want to know me all of a sudden? |
| 你的问题是你一下子想要的太多了。 | nǐ de wèntí shì nǐ yíxiàzi xiǎng yào de tài duōle. | Your problem is that you want too much at once. |
| 这个月的天气变化大，一下晴天一下雨。 | zhège yuè de tiānqì biànhuà dà, yíxià qíngtiān yíxià yǔ. | The weather has been changing a lot this month, one moment it’s sunny, and the next it’s raining. |
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FAQs
What is 一下?
一下 (yíxià) is a common adverb in Chinese.
It is placed after verbs to say that an action is done or occurs briefly. It also softens your speech so a sentence sounds like a request, not a command.
How to use 一下?
The most common sentence structure for 一下:(Subject +) Verb + 一下 (+Object)
等一下。děng yīxià. Wait a moment.
Another use of 一下:
Subject + 一下 (+就) + Predicate + 了
他们一下子结婚了。tāmen yīxià jiéhūnle. They suddenly got married.
How is 一下 pronounced?
一下 is pronounced yíxià。
How can I learn Chinese effectively?
To learn Chinese effectively you can start by learning about the characters and the pinyin, then master the tones as early as possible and learn some basic vocabulary and structures to start putting sentences together.
Most importantly, find good resources to rely on, if you can get yourself a private teacher or some Chinese classes, and finally never give up on your studies.
Where can I find more grammar lessons?
There are more Chinese grammar lessons like this one in our Chinese Grammar Bank.
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