hesitate; waver; pace up and down
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesverb
to hesitate; to be indecisive
literaryDescribes a state of inner conflict or doubt before making a decision. More common in written language.
Tā他
zài在
mén门
kǒu口
chí踟
chú蹰
le了
hěn很
jiǔ久
，
bù不
gǎn敢
jìn进
qù去
。
He hesitated at the door for a long time, not daring to go in.
Miàn面
duì对
zhòng重
dà大
xuǎn选
zé择
，
tā她
bù不
jīn禁
chí踟
chú蹰
qǐ起
lái来
。
Faced with a major choice, she couldn't help but hesitate.
verb
to pace back and forth; to linger
literaryDescribes slow, hesitant movement, often due to reluctance, worry, or uncertainty about direction.
Tā她
zài在
hé河
biān边
chí踟
chú蹰
，
kàn看
zhe着
yuǎn远
qù去
de的
chuán船
zhī只
。
She lingered by the river, watching the departing boats.
Lǎo老
rén人
zài在
xiàng巷
kǒu口
chí踟
chú蹰
，
sì似
hū乎
zài在
huí回
yì忆
wǎng往
shì事
。
The old man paced back and forth at the alley entrance, seemingly reminiscing about the past.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Mǎ马
chē车
zài在
ní泥
nìng泞
zhōng中
chí踟
chú蹰
nán难
xíng行
。
The carriage struggled to move forward, lingering in the mud.