举棋不定

舉棋不定

jǔqí-búdìng

idiom HSK 7-9 #36,421

Meanings

1 to hesitate over a chess move
2 to waver, to shilly-shally

Characters

chess piece, Go stone

to decide, to settle

Examples

HSK 4

他在两份工作之间举棋不定。

Tā zài liǎng fèn gōngzuò zhījiān jǔqí-búdìng.

He's wavering between the two job offers.

HSK 6

举棋不定会错过最佳时机。

Jǔqí-búdìng huì cuòguò zuìjiā shíjī.

Indecision will cost you the best moment.

Tips

history

From 《左传·襄公二十五年》 - 'a player who lifts a stone but can't decide where to place it won't beat his opponent.' The Go/weiqi metaphor for indecision predates the chess metaphor by 2,500 years.

Stroke Order

举 jǔ

棋 qí

不 bù

定 dìng