徘 meaning and stroke order
To dither, to pace; hesitant
How to write 徘, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 徘
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 徘徊[pai2 huai2]
How 徘 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Step.
彳 gives the meaning and 非 hints at the sound.
Radical: 彳 (to step with the left foot), shared by 42 characters on this site.
How to remember 徘
徘 combines 彳 (step) on the left with 非 (fēi) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture someone taking steps but saying "no, not this way" (非), so they keep pacing back and forth.
徘 almost never appears alone. It lives in the word 徘徊 (páihuái), which means to pace back and forth or to hesitate about a decision. Example: 他在门口徘徊了很久。(Tā zài ménkǒu páihuái le hěn jiǔ.) He paced around the doorway for a long time.
Common mistake: Learners often swap in 排 (pái, to line up). It has the same sound and the same 非 part but uses the hand radical 扌 instead of 彳. Remember that 徘徊 is about walking, so both characters take the step radical 彳.
Common words with 徘
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 徘徊 | páihuái | to pace back and forth; to dither; to hesitate | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 徘
How many strokes are in 徘?
徘 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 徘 mean?
徘 (pái) means to dither, to pace; hesitant. A common word with it is 徘徊 (páihuái), meaning "to pace back and forth; to dither; to hesitate".
How do you pronounce 徘?
徘 is pronounced pái, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 徘?
The radical of 徘 is 彳, which carries the idea of "to step with the left foot". Dictionaries list 徘 under this radical.
Is 徘 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 徘 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 徘徊 describe things other than people walking?
Yes. It can describe hesitating over a choice, as in 在两个选择之间徘徊 (hesitating between two choices). It can also describe numbers hovering around a level, for example a price that stays around a certain figure.
How is 徘徊 different from 犹豫 (yóuyù)?
犹豫 is the everyday word for being hesitant or undecided. 徘徊 is more literary and often carries the image of physically pacing, or of something moving back and forth without settling.