优柔寡断

優柔寡斷

yōuróu-guǎduàn

idiom #20,729

Meanings

1 indecisive
2 irresolute
3 wishy-washy
4 unable to make decisions

Characters

gentle, leisurely, excellent

soft, gentle, yielding

few, scarce, widowed

to decide, to cut off, judgment

Examples

他优柔寡断，迟迟做不了决定。

Tā yōuróuguǎduàn, chíchí zuò bù liǎo juédìng.

He is indecisive and cannot make a decision for a long time.

领导者不能优柔寡断，需要果断行动。

Lǐngdǎozhě bùnéng yōuróuguǎduàn, xūyào guǒduàn xíngdòng.

Leaders cannot be indecisive — they need to act decisively.

Tips

memory

优柔 means 'gentle and soft'; 寡断 means 'few decisions.' Together: someone so gentle and soft they make very few decisions — the classic image of someone who hesitates endlessly.

Stroke Order

优 yōu

柔 róu

寡 guǎ

断 duàn