Definitions

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

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "徘" exists almost exclusively in the compound word "徘徊" (páihuái), and its history is intrinsically tied to that term. Its structure combines the "彳" radical, denoting a slow step or movement, with the component "非", which originally depicted opposing wings but here functions phonetically and perhaps notionally to suggest negation or opposition to forward progress. This combination creates a semantic idea of moving but not advancing, of steps taken against or beside each other. Over time, the meaning solidified around the concept of walking back and forth or hesitating, a sense of indecisive or circular movement that has remained consistent in its usage from classical texts to modern language. The character itself has maintained its form without a separate traditional variant, remaining graphically stable as a specialized component of its binomial expression.

Example Sentences Hide

他在门前徊不定。

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徊。

Tóuzī zhě de xìnxīn réng zài dīgǔ páihuái.

Investor confidence is still lingering at a low point.

这个问题让我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.