举棋不定

舉棋不定

jǔqíbùdìng

idiom #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

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.

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