Meaning of 动摇
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to sway
- to waver
- to rock
- to rattle
- to destabilize
- to pose a challenge to
How to use 动摇
动摇 is used for physical swaying, but more often for beliefs, decisions, confidence, or foundations becoming unsteady. It can be intransitive (someone wavers) or transitive (something shakes someone's resolve). Example: 他的决心从来没有动摇过。(Tā de juéxīn cónglái méiyǒu dòngyáo guò.) His determination has never wavered.
动 (dòng) means to move, and 摇 (yáo) means to shake, with the hand radical 扌 on the left. Picture a hand shaking something until it moves and starts to waver.
Common mistake: Learners often write 摇 with the wrong component on the right or confuse it with 遥 (yáo, far), which has the walking radical 辶 instead of the hand 扌. Also, for simply shaking your head or a bottle, use 摇 (yáo) or 摇头 (yáotóu), not 动摇.
动摇 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
动 dòng · to move · 6 strokes
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摇 yáo · to shake · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 动摇.
| 动作 | dòngzuò | movement; motion; action; to act; to move |
| 行动 | xíngdòng | operation; action |
| 动物 | dòngwù | animal |
| 活动 | huódòng | to exercise; to move about; to work out; shaky; unsteady; loose (tooth etc) |
| 运动 | yùndòng | to move; to exercise |
| 感动 | gǎndòng | to move (sb); to touch (sb emotionally) |
| 动物园 | dòngwùyuán | zoo |
| 发动 | fādòng | to start; to launch |
| 自动 | zìdòng | automatic; voluntarily |
| 主动 | zhǔdòng | to take the initiative; to do sth of one's own accord |
| 动力 | dònglì | motive power; (fig.) motivation; impetus |
| 推动 | tuīdòng | to push (e.g. for acceptance of a plan); to promote; to give impetus to |
Questions about 动摇
What does 动摇 mean?
动摇 (dòngyáo) means "to sway; to waver" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 动摇?
动摇 is made of 2 characters: 动 (6 strokes), 摇 (13 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 动摇 an HSK word?
Yes. 动摇 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 动摇 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 动摇 is written 動搖.
What is the difference between 动摇 and 犹豫?
犹豫 (yóuyù) means hesitating before making a choice. 动摇 means something that was firm, like a belief or decision, starts to become unsteady. You 犹豫 before deciding, and your decision can 动摇 afterward.
What nouns commonly go with 动摇?
Common objects and subjects include 信心 (xìnxīn, confidence), 决心 (juéxīn, determination), 信念 (xìnniàn, belief), 立场 (lìchǎng, position), and 基础 (jīchǔ, foundation). For example, 动摇信心 means to shake someone's confidence.