徘

pái
彳 + 非

Definitions

pái (adjective,verb) hesitant; irresolute; to pace back and forth

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 彳 represents the meaning and 非 represents the sound.

Semantic: 彳 Phonetic: 非

About

徘 is a phonosemantic compound: the left component 彳, a radical meaning 'step' or 'movement', suggests walking or small steps, while the right component 非 gives the sound. Although 非 normally means 'not' or 'wrong', here it functions purely phonetically. The character almost never appears alone; it occurs in the compound 徘徊, which means to wander, pace back and forth, or hesitate. This evokes lingering or aimless walking, often reflecting indecision or contemplation in literary contexts.

Example Sentences Hide

他在门前徘徊不定。

Tā zài mén qián páihuái bùdìng.

He hesitated uncertainly in front of the door.

深夜他独自在街上徘徊。

Shēnyè tā dúzì zài jiē shàng páihuái.

Late at night, he wandered alone on the street.

我一直在两种选择间徘徊。

Wǒ yīzhí zài liǎng zhǒng xuǎnzé jiān páihuái.

I have been wavering between two choices.

她的歌声长久在我脑中徘徊。

Tā de gēshēng chángjiǔ zài wǒ nǎo zhōng páihuái.

Her singing voice lingered in my mind for a long time.

失业率在历史高位附近徘徊。

Shīyè lǜ zài lìshǐ gāowèi fùjìn páihuái.

The unemployment rate is hovering near a historical high.

投资者的信心仍在低谷徘徊。

Tóuzī zhě de xìnxīn réng zài dīgǔ páihuái.

Investor confidence is still lingering at a low point.

这个问题让我徘徊在放弃与坚持之间。

Zhège wèntí ràng wǒ páihuái zài fàngqì yǔ jiānchí zhī jiān.

This problem has me wavering between giving up and persevering.

他的思绪始终在过去的回忆里徘徊，无法专注于当下。

Tā de sīxù shǐzhōng zài guòqù de huíyì lǐ páihuái, wúfǎ zhuānzhù yú dāngxià.

His thoughts kept lingering in memories of the past, unable to focus on the present.

Related Characters

Component: 彳

得 行 很 德 往 律 微 待 征 徒 街 彻 役 彼

Component: 非

非 排 罪 靠 悲 菲 辈 匪 啡 斐 靡 裴 诽 腓

Example Words

徘徊