犹豫

• Pinyin: yóu yù
• Hanzi breakdown: 犹 = 犭 + 尤, a hesitant beast; 豫 = 予 + 象, another hesitant creature

Meaning

Hesitant; indecisive. The state of being unable to decide or act due to uncertainty.

Describes both the emotional state of hesitation and the behavior of wavering. Can be used as adjective or verb. Common patterns: 犹豫不决 (unable to make up one's mind), 毫不犹豫 (without hesitation). Often carries a slightly negative connotation of wasted time.

Examples

1. 面对两份工作邀请，她犹豫了很久。 Faced with two job offers, she hesitated for a long time.
2. 他毫不犹豫地接受了这个挑战。 He accepted this challenge without any hesitation.
3. 别再犹豫了，机会稍纵即逝。 Stop hesitating — opportunities are fleeting.

Usage Guide

Context: decision-making, psychology, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你在犹豫什么？(What are you hesitating about?)
• 我犹豫了一下，还是决定去。(I hesitated for a moment but decided to go anyway.)

Don't Say

• 我很犹豫这件事 (Grammatically awkward — say 我对这件事很犹豫 or 我在犹豫这件事)

Origin & History

Both characters contain the dog radical 犭. 犹 and 豫 were originally names of legendary animals known for their hesitant nature.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal