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怀疑 (huái yí) — to doubt, to be skeptical of; to suspect, to have a suspicion that

Definition

怀疑 is a verb for doubting a fact or suspecting someone — broader than 质疑 (which specifically challenges truth or validity). For pure uncertainty without targeting a person, use 疑惑 or 疑虑 as a noun.

verb
to doubtto be skeptical ofto suspectto have a suspicion that

Examples

  • 怀疑。
    Wǒ huái yí tā shuō de huà shì bu shì zhēn de.
    I doubt whether what he said is true.
  • 怀疑。
    Jǐng chá huái yí tā shì xiǎo tōu.
    The police suspect that he is a thief.
  • 怀疑。
    Tā cóng lái bù huái yí zì jǐ de péng you.
    She never doubts her own friends.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

怀huáiharbor
疑yídoubt

怀疑 means to 怀 (harbor) 疑 (doubt) in one's mind.

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 懷; 怀 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
褱
褱huái懷huái
Same sound today

The traditional form 懷 uses 心 (heart) to show longing and 褱 for the sound; the simplified 怀 is a later shorthand.

Open 怀 →

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 →
Appears in
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