躇 (chú): (in 踌躇) to hesitate; to waver

Meanings

操欲立嗣，踌躇不定。

Cāo yù lì sì, chóuchú bù dìng.

Cao Cao wanted to choose an heir but hesitated, unable to settle it.

面对抉择，他不禁踌躇起来。

Miànduì juézé, tā bùjīn chóuchú qǐlái.

Faced with the choice, he could not help hesitating.

usage

躇 is a bound character used only in 踌躇 (to hesitate) and 踌躇满志 (smugly self-satisfied). It never stands on its own in modern Chinese.

radical

足 zú

foot

The foot radical, fitting the pacing-back-and-forth image inside 踌躇, to waver indecisively.

phonetic

著 zhù

to manifest; marked

Provides the sound. Read 著 alone, it shifts to chú here and contributes only the phonetic cue, no meaning.

躇 chú