Meaning of 犹豫
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to hesitate
How to use 犹豫
犹豫 describes hesitating or being undecided, and it can work as a verb or describe a person's state. It often appears with 一下 or in set phrases like 毫不犹豫 (háo bù yóuyù) and 犹豫不决 (yóuyù-bùjué). Example: 他犹豫了一下才回答。(Tā yóuyù le yíxià cái huídá.) He hesitated for a moment before answering.
Both characters have an animal side: 犹 (yóu) has the dog radical 犭, and 豫 (yù) contains 象 (xiàng), elephant. Picture a dog and an elephant standing at a crossroads, each waiting for the other to move first.
Common mistake: Learners often write 豫 as 像 (xiàng), because both contain 象. 豫 has 予 (yǔ) on the left, not the person radical 亻. Also keep both syllables rising and falling correctly: yóu is second tone and yù is fourth tone.
犹豫 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.
犹 yóu · similar to · 7 strokes
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豫 yù · relaxed · 15 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 犹豫.
Questions about 犹豫
What does 犹豫 mean?
犹豫 (yóuyù) means "to hesitate" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 犹豫?
犹豫 is made of 2 characters: 犹 (7 strokes), 豫 (15 strokes). That is 22 strokes in total.
Is 犹豫 an HSK word?
Yes. 犹豫 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 犹豫 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 犹豫 is written 猶豫.
Can 犹豫 be reduplicated?
Yes. Like many two-syllable verbs it can be repeated as 犹豫犹豫 to mean thinking it over a bit, though 犹豫一下 is more common. You may also hear 犹犹豫豫, which describes someone acting in a hesitant, wavering way.
What is the difference between 犹豫 and 考虑 (kǎolǜ)?
考虑 is neutral and means to consider or think something over. 犹豫 suggests you cannot make up your mind and may be held back by doubt. Saying 我在考虑 sounds thoughtful, while 我很犹豫 sounds torn.