疑 (yí) — (bound form) doubt, suspicion; to doubt, to be suspicious

Definition

疑 is a bound morpheme meaning 'doubt, suspicion' — it almost never stands alone, appearing instead inside words like 可疑, 怀疑, 疑虑.

bound form
doubtsuspicionto doubtto be suspicious
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Tā de huí dá yǐn qǐ le dà jiā de huái yí.
    His answer aroused everyone's suspicion.
  • ，。
    Zhè ge qíng kuàng fēi cháng kě yí, xū yào jìn yí bù diào chá.
    This situation is very suspicious and needs further investigation.
  • ，。
    Tā xīn zhōng yǒu yí lǜ, suǒ yǐ yì zhí yóu yù bù jué.
    He had doubts in his heart, so he kept hesitating.

Origin

Compound ideograph
六书liùshū
会意huìyì

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.

Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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