疑虑

• Pinyin: yí lǜ
• Hanzi breakdown: 疑 = complex character indicating doubt and hesitation; 虑 = 虍 + 思 (tiger head radical + thought — originally careful deliberation under pressure, extended to worry and apprehension)

Meaning

Misgivings; doubts and concerns; apprehension. Refers to a mixture of doubt and worry about a plan, decision, or person's intentions.

Combines doubt with underlying anxiety — stronger than 疑惑 (puzzlement) and more restrained than 怀疑 (suspicion). Common in formal and diplomatic contexts: 消除疑虑 (to dispel misgivings), 存在疑虑 (to have reservations). Often used when one is not fully persuaded and feels cautious about proceeding.

Examples

1. 合同谈判陷入僵局，主要原因是乙方对付款条款存在较大疑虑，担心对方无法按时兑付。 The contract negotiations hit a stalemate mainly because Party B had serious concerns about the payment terms and worried the other side wouldn’t be able to pay on time.
2. 新政策公布后，部分员工对未来的职业发展方向产生了疑虑，人力资源部随即组织了专题解答会。 After the new policy was announced, some employees developed concerns about their future career paths, so HR promptly organized a Q&A session to address them.
3. 经过几轮深入沟通，投资方最初的疑虑已基本消除，双方就合作框架达成了初步共识。 After several rounds of in-depth communication, the investors’ initial concerns were largely resolved, and the two sides reached a preliminary consensus on the cooperation framework.

Usage Guide

Context: business, diplomacy, HR, negotiation

Tone: cautious

Do Say

• 首轮磋商中，代表团坦诚说明对核查透明度的疑虑，并提出信任建立措施。(In the first round of talks, the delegation frankly expressed concerns about verification transparency and proposed confidence-building measures.)
• 为消除公众对基因编辑安全与伦理边界的疑虑，监管部门将设独立专家委员会公开评审。(To ease public concerns about the safety and ethical boundaries of gene editing, regulators will set up an independent expert committee for public review.)

Don't Say

• 我对这道题有疑虑 — 疑虑 implies concern and apprehension about a consequential decision or plan; for academic uncertainty use 疑问、不确定、不明白

Origin & History

疑 (to doubt) + 虑 (to worry/deliberate — 虍 tiger head + 思 thought, originally suggesting careful deliberation, extended to anxious concern)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional/Universal