徊 (huái) · to pace back and forth; to linger

Meanings

1 to pace back and forth; to linger

Characters

徊

huái

to pace back and forth; to linger

Examples

HSK 7-9

她独自在公园里徘徊了很久。

Tā dúzì zài gōngyuán lǐ páihuái le hěnjiǔ.

She lingered alone in the park for a long time.

HSK 7-9

他的思绪一直徘徊在那个夏天。

Tā de sīxù yìzhí páihuái zài nàge xiàtiān.

His thoughts kept lingering on that summer.

Tips

usage

Bound to 徘徊 (to pace, linger, hover). 徊 never stands alone in modern Chinese; it always partners with 徘.

Components

radical

彳 chì

step; to walk (left-side form)

Left-side step radical 彳, half of 行 (to walk). It frames 徊 as a kind of walking, lingering and pacing about.

phonetic

回 huí

to return; to circle

Right side 回 gives the sound (huí shifting to huái) and a fitting image: 回 means 'to circle back', and pacing means going back and forth over the same ground.

Stroke Order

徊 huái

Related Words

徘徊 páihuái HSK 7-9 #8,670

to pace back and forth; to linger; to wander / to hesitate; to be indecisive

天光云影共徘徊 tiān guāng yún yǐng gòng páihuái

sky-light and cloud-shadow linger together / (fig.) an image of a clear pool mirroring the sky, and, symbolically, a pure mind reflecting all things / (lit.) sky, light, cloud, shadow, together, linger

还 huán HSK 3 #39

to return (something); to give back / to pay back; to repay / to retaliate; to respond in kind

后背 hòubèi #6,278

back (of the body) / behind one's back

还击 huánjī #8,812

to fight back; to strike back / to counterattack; to retaliate

复活 fùhuó HSK 7-9 #3,967

to resurrect; to come back to life / to revive; to bring back

返回 fǎnhuí HSK 5 #3,816

to return to; to go back / to get back to (a place or state)

赶回 gǎnhuí #5,705

to hurry back / to rush back

背后 bèihòu HSK 5 #2,171

behind; at the back / behind someone's back; in secret

回话 huíhuà #9,677

to reply / to answer back / to report back