尾随 (wěi suí) — to follow closely, to tail (someone or something)

Definition

尾随 means to follow closely behind someone, usually without their knowledge or with intent to watch/track them (often in detective, surveillance, or unwanted-stalking contexts). It is more deliberate and covert than simply 跟着.

verb
to follow closelyto tail (someone or something)

Examples

  • 尾随。
    Jǐng chá wěi suí nà liàng chē.
    The police tailed that car.
  • 尾随。
    Xiǎo gǒu wěi suí zhe zhǔ rén.
    The puppy followed its owner.
  • 尾随。
    Bú yào wěi suí bié rén.
    Don't follow others.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

尾wěitail
随suífollow

tail and follow combine to mean follow closely behind, like a tail.

Characters in this word

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

The form 尾 combines 尸 (person) and 毛 (hair; feather).

Open 尾 →

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 隨; 随 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalking
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡐦
𡐦𡐦隨suí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 隨 pairs 辵 (walking) with 𡐦 (the sound part); the simplified 随 is a later shorthand.

Open 随 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.