How to say “once” in Chinese
once, for a moment
“Once” in Chinese is 一下, yí xià: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
一下 is read yí xià: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Before a measure word its tone changes: yí before a fourth tone, yì before the others. In numbers and dates it stays yī.
A stroke under a line.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “一下”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 一下. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 我问一下老师wǒwènyíxiàlǎoshīI'll ask the teacher.
- 你出来一下nǐchūláiyíxiàCome out for a moment.
- 你过来一下nǐguòláiyíxiàCome over here for a moment.
- 我一下课就回家。wǒyíxiàkèjiùhuíjiāAs soon as class is over, I go home.
- 你能帮我一下吗？nǐnéngbāngwǒyíxiàmaCan you help me?
- 我一下课就去教室找你wǒyíxiàkèjiùqùjiàoshìzhǎonǐAs soon as class is over, I'll come to the classroom to find you.
More words from the lesson “Sorry — no problem”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “once” in Chinese?
“Once” in Chinese is 一下, pinyin yíxià.
What does 一下 mean?
一下 (yíxià) means “once, for a moment”.
How do you write 一下?
一下 is 2 characters: 一 (yī) — one; 下 (xià) — below, under. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 一下?
一下 is read yíxià. Tones: yí — second tone, xià — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“once” in the lesson “Sorry — no problem”
This word is from the topic “Meeting people” of HSK 1. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
Start for free