怀疑

• Pinyin: huái yí
• Hanzi breakdown: 怀 = 忄(heart) + component (phonetic) — feelings in the heart; 疑 = a complex character showing a person hesitating at a crossroads — uncertainty

Meaning

To suspect; to doubt; to question. To feel uncertain about the truth or reliability of something.

Can function as both a verb and a noun. Used in everyday conversation for personal doubts and in legal/detective contexts for suspicion. Common collocations include 怀疑对象 (suspect), 毫不怀疑 (without a doubt), and 值得怀疑 (worth questioning). Can be directed at people, facts, or one's own abilities.

Examples

1. 警察怀疑那个人是小偷。 The police suspect that person is a thief.
2. 我怀疑他说的话不是真的。 I suspect what he said is not true.
3. 不要怀疑自己的能力，你一定能做到。 Don't doubt your own abilities; you can definitely do it.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, legal, personal

Tone: cautious

Do Say

• 你怀疑是谁做的？(Who do you suspect did it?)
• 我对这件事有点怀疑。(I have some doubts about this matter.)

Don't Say

• 我很怀疑你的帮助 (Don't use 怀疑 to mean 'appreciate' — it means the opposite; if you're grateful, use 感谢)

Origin & History

怀 (huái, bosom/heart) + 疑 (yí, to doubt) — to hold doubt in one's heart, meaning to have suspicion or uncertainty.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal