Chinese word

摇晃

Pronunciation

Pinyinyáo huàng

Meaning

  • verbshake

Example

桌子被风吹得一直摇晃。zhuō zi bèi fēng chuī de yì zhí yáo huàng

The table keeps shaking in the wind.

Illustration for 摇晃 (shake)

More examples

地铁突然刹车，车厢开始摇晃。dì tiě tū rán shā chē chē xiāng kāi shǐ yáo huàng

The subway suddenly braked, and the train car began to shake.

Core concept

Repeated movement from side to side or back and forth, often because something is unstable or an outside force acts on it.

Common phrases

  • 摇晃着身体yáo huàng zhe shēn tǐ

    shake one's body

  • 摇晃的船yáo huàng de chuán

    rocking boat

  • 摇晃的树枝yáo huàng de shù zhī

    swaying branch

Similar words

摇动yáo dòng: Move an object or part of it by shaking, swinging, or tilting it with a hand or outside force.
摆动bǎi dòng: Sway back and forth in a steady, regular motion, often following a curved path.
晃动huàng dòng: Make a large, brief shaking movement after a sudden hit, jolt, or impact.
颤动chàn dòng: Make very small, fast movements that repeat closely together.

Definition in Chinese

被外力或用手使物体来回或左右摆动，显得不稳或不停地晃动。bèi wài lì huò yòng shǒu shǐ wù tǐ lái huí huò zuǒ yòu bǎi dòng xiǎn de bù wěn huò bù tíng dì huàng dòng

Word origin

摇晃 (yáohuàng, "to shake or wobble") combines 摇 (yáo, "to move back and forth") with 晃 (huàng, "to sway or rock"), making the continued unsteady motion easy to picture.

Usage tips

  • In everyday descriptions, this verb usually refers to visible physical movement caused by wind, a push, or an unsteady base, while emotional uncertainty is normally expressed with another word.

Other meanings

  • wobbleverb
  • swayverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word