ci4踟
Jyutpingci4
Yalechìh
Definition
Hesitating; hesitant.
colloquialdescriptionsdaily actions
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively used in the reduplicated form 踟躕 to describe the act of pacing back and forth or being unable to make a decision. It carries a literary nuance that is rarely used in casual speech, where people prefer to use 猶豫 or 諗嚟諗去. You will mostly encounter it in written descriptions or slightly more formal storytelling contexts.
Examples
He is hesitating at the door, not sure whether to go in or not.
Why are you hesitating? Make a decision quickly.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the pronunciation and usage of this character with 躊躇, which also means to hesitate but is more commonly used in written Chinese. Using 踟躕 in a very casual text message might sound overly poetic or pretentious.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
