English–Chinese
“hesitate” in Chinese
How to say “hesitate” in Chinese
“Hesitate” in Chinese is 犹豫 (yóu yù).
The mind pauses between possible actions because no option feels certain enough to begin.
Example sentences with 犹豫
他听完建议后犹豫了一下，马上表示同意。tā tīng wán jiàn yì hòu yóu yù le yí xià mǎ shàng biǎo shì tóng yì
After hearing the advice, he hesitated for a moment, then immediately agreed.
Tips for using 犹豫
- 犹豫了一下 (yóuyù le yíxià, "hesitated briefly") can mark a small pause before speaking or acting, so the word need not imply a long delay.
Other Chinese words for “hesitate”
他在门口迟疑了几秒钟才进来。tā zài mén kǒu chí yí le jí miǎo zhōng cái jìn lái
He hesitated in the doorway for a few seconds before entering.