躊躇う

• 読み: ためらう
• ローマ字: tamerau
• 漢字の分解: 躊 (chuu) — to hesitate | 躇 (cho) — to hesitate, to falter
• 発音: /ta.me.ɾa.ɯ/

意味

To hesitate; to waver; to falter; to be unable to act decisively.

A Group 1 (godan) verb expressing the state of hesitation or indecision in which one wavers between two choices or cannot bring oneself to act. It implies both an internal psychological struggle and an outward pause or delay in action. Though written with the rare kanji 躊躇 in formal contexts, it is very commonly written in hiragana in everyday usage. Widely used across formal and informal registers.

例文

1. 重大な決断を前にして、誰もがためらいを感じるのは当然のことだ。
2. 彼女は長い間躊躇ったが、ついに上司に昇給の交渉を切り出した。
3. ためらわずに行動できる人間こそが、危機の場面で真価を発揮できる。

使い方ガイド

場面: decision-making, emotional conflict, daily life, formal writing

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

From the Sino-Japanese 躊躇 (chūcho), meaning hesitation. The kanji 躊 and 躇 both contain 足 (foot), suggesting a person stopped mid-step, unable to proceed. Now commonly written in hiragana in everyday contexts.

文化的背景

時代: Classical–Present

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal