Chinese word

忽高忽低

Pronunciation

Pinyinhū gāo hū dī

Meaning

  • adjectivefluctuating

Example

最近气温忽高忽低，要多准备衣服。zuì jìn qì wēn hū gāo hū dī yào duō zhǔn bèi yī fú

Temperatures have been fluctuating lately, so it is best to prepare more clothes.

Illustration for 忽高忽低 (fluctuating)

More examples

这几天股价忽高忽低，投资者非常不安。zhè jǐ tiān gǔ jià hū gāo hū dī tóu zī zhě fēi cháng bù ān

Stock prices have been fluctuating these past few days, making investors very uneasy.

Core concept

A level keeps moving between an upper point and a lower point, with neither position lasting for long.

Common phrases

  • 气温忽高忽低qì wēn hū gāo hū dī

    fluctuating temperatures

  • 股价忽高忽低gǔ jià hū gāo hū dī

    fluctuating stock prices

  • 心情忽高忽低xīn qíng hū gāo hū dī

    fluctuating mood

Similar words

波动bō dòng: Moving up and down over time, often across a noticeable range.
起伏qǐ fú: Rising and falling in an uneven pattern, like a series of hills and dips.
时高时低shí gāo shí dī: Being high at some times and low at others.

Definition in Chinese

描述某事物在一段时间内时而较高、时而较低，呈现反复波动且不稳定。miáo shù mǒu shì wù zài yí duàn shí jiān nèi shí ér jiào gāo shí ér jiào dī chéng xiàn fǎn fù bō dòng qiě bù wěn dìng

Word origin

忽 (hū, "suddenly") + 高 (gāo, "high") + 忽 + 低 (dī, "low") forms a balanced pattern in which one brief shift is followed by the opposite shift.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, it works especially naturally with measurable things such as temperature, prices, and numbers, while a one-time change needs a different expression.

Other meanings

  • unstableadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word