迟疑
chí yí · HSK 7
to hesitate
🐢 slow (迟) + doubt (疑) = to hesitate
When you are slow to act because doubt holds you back, that is hesitation. The characters spell it out: lateness born from uncertainty.
迟 — walk radical 辶 + sheep 羊 (phonetic)
迟 combines the walking radical 辶 with 羊 (sheep) as a phonetic clue. The original form depicted slow, lingering movement, giving the core meaning of 'late' or 'slow'. Over time it broadened to cover tardiness in time as well as physical slowness.