拖沓 (tuō tà) — sluggish, dilatory, procrastinating

Definition

拖沓 (tuōtà) describes a person or work style that is slow and disorganized — 'sluggish and dilatory'. Used for ongoing habits or styles, not a one-time delay (which is 耽误).

adjective
sluggishdilatoryprocrastinating

Examples

  • 拖沓，。
    Tā zuò shì hěn tuō tà, cháng cháng dān wu shí jiān.
    He does things very sluggishly and often delays time.
  • 拖沓。
    Wǒ men yào bì miǎn tuō tà de gōng zuò zuò fēng.
    We should avoid a dilatory work style.
  • 拖沓。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù yīn wèi tuō tà de jìn dù ér shī bài le.
    This project failed because of its sluggish progress.

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.

拖tuōdrag or delay
沓tàcluttered

拖, to drag or delay, and 沓, cluttered, together describe slow, muddled action.

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 →

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

The form 沓 is built from a picture of water and a picture of something being said.

Open 沓 →

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