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拖拖拉拉 (tuō tuō lā lā) — dragging one's feet; slow and procrastinating; sluggish (in doing things)

Definition

A vivid reduplication describing someone who works in a slow, sluggish, dawdling way — delaying rather than getting on with it. Use for people, teams, or work habits, not for physical slowness.

bound form
dragging one's feetslow and procrastinatingsluggish (in doing things)

Examples

  • 拖拖拉拉，。
    Tā zuò shì zǒng shì tuō tuō lā lā de, ràng rén hěn zháo jí.
    He always drags his feet when doing things, which makes people anxious.
  • 拖拖拉拉，。
    Bié tuō tuō lā lā dì zuò zuò yè le, zǎo diǎn xiě wán zǎo diǎn wán.
    Stop doing your homework so slowly; finish it early so you can play early.
  • 拖拖拉拉。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù yīn wèi tuán duì tuō tuō lā lā ér yán wù le gōng qī.
    This project was delayed because the team was dragging their feet.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

拖拖
拖tuōdrag拖tuōdrag
拉拉
拉lāpull拉lāpull

拖 means 'drag' and 拉 means 'pull'; the repeated forms suggest a slow, dragging way of doing things.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
它
它tā拖tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拖 uses 手 to show an action done with the hand, and 它 to give its sound.

Open 拖 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
它
它tā拖tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拖 uses 手 to show an action done with the hand, and 它 to give its sound.

Open 拖 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →
Appears in
Personality & Traits

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