pong4徬
Jyutpingpong4
Yalepòhng
Definition
To hesitate or be irresolute.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
This character is almost exclusively used as part of the compound 徬徨 to describe a state of being lost, anxious, or indecisive. It carries a sense of emotional distress or being at a crossroads rather than just a simple pause in action. While it can be written as 彷徨, using 徬徨 is standard when emphasizing the feeling of being unsettled or wandering without a clear direction.
Examples
He has been hesitating for a long time and still hasn't decided.
Related words
Common phrases
helpless and anxious
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 徬邊, but 徬邊 is a misspelling of 旁邊. Ensure you only use this character in the context of feeling lost or hesitant.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
