晃荡

晃蕩
huàngdang
verb HSK 7 #15,979

Meanings

  1. 1 to sway; to rock back and forth
  2. 2 to wander about; to loaf around

Characters

Both characters mean 'sway,' reinforcing the image of aimless rocking or wandering.

Examples

Chuán zài shuǐmiàn shàng huàngdang.
The boat is rocking on the water.
Tā zhěngtiān zài jiē shàng huàngdang, shénme yě bù gàn.
He loafs around on the street all day, doing nothing.

Tips

usage
晃荡 has two distinct uses: physical swaying (a boat, a pendulum) and idle wandering (loafing around). The wandering sense carries a disapproving tone — implying someone has nothing productive to do.

Stroke Order

huàng
dàng