踟 (chí): (in 踟蹰) to pace back and forth

Meanings

他在门口踟蹰，拿不定主意。

Tā zài ménkǒu chíchú, ná bù dìng zhǔyi.

He paced back and forth at the gate, unable to decide.

她踟蹰着，不知道该不该进去。

Tā chíchú zhe, bù zhīdào gāi bùgāi jìnqù.

She lingered hesitantly, not knowing whether to go in.

usage

踟 is bound to 踟蹰, a literary word for pacing about in hesitation. It also appears written as 踟躇.

radical

足 zú

foot

The foot radical 足, in its compressed left-side form, marks 踟 as motion of the feet, here restless pacing.

phonetic

知 zhī

to know

Supplies the sound, drifted from zhī to the modern reading chí. It is the same character seen standing alone as 知.

踟 chí