犹疑 (yóu yí) — to hesitate

Definition

A literary verb for 'to hesitate' — stronger and more written than the everyday 犹豫, conveying lingering doubt rather than quick wavering.

verb
to hesitate
Easily confused

Examples

  • 犹疑。
    Tā miàn duì zhè ge jué dìng yóu yí le hěn jiǔ.
    He hesitated for a long time when facing this decision.
  • 犹疑，。
    Bié zài yóu yí le, jī huì bù děng rén.
    Don't hesitate anymore; opportunities wait for no one.
  • 犹疑，。
    Tā yóu yí le yí xià, hái shì shuō chū le shí huà.
    She hesitated for a moment but still told the truth.

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.

犹yóuhesitate
疑yídoubt

犹 and 疑 both convey hesitation or doubt, strengthening the sense of wavering.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 猶; 犹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
酋
酋qiú猶yóu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 猶 combines 犬 (dog) with 酋 as a sound part, and the evidence identifies it as a kind of monkey. The simplified 犹 is a shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 犹 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 大大dàstanding human figure
  • 夂夂zhǐtilted head with open mouth
  • 丨丨gǔncane

疑 depicts a standing figure 大 with a tilted, open-mouthed head 夂 and a cane 丨, a confused person looking around for direction.

Open 疑 →

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