晃悠 (huàng you) — to sway, wobble, stagger

Definition

An everyday verb for swaying or wobbling gently — a person staggering while walking, or a tree/ceiling rocking in the wind. It focuses on a loose, unsteady side-to-side motion, weaker than 摇晃.

verb
to swaywobblestagger

Examples

  • ,晃悠。
    Tā hē zuì le, zǒu lù zhí huàng you.
    He was drunk and walked staggering.
  • ,晃悠。
    Fēng hěn dà, shù zài fēng zhōng huàng you.
    The wind was strong, and the trees swayed in the wind.
  • ,晃悠。
    Tā tóu yūn, jué de wū dǐng zài huàng you.
    He was dizzy and felt the ceiling was swaying.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

晃 and 悠 both suggest swaying, giving wobble.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 晃 →

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
心心xīnheart; mind
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu悠yōu
Same sound today

悠 pairs 攸, which gives the sound, with 心, meaning heart or mind.

Open 悠 →

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