How to Write 踌 (chóu) — Meaning “to hesitate”

Imagine your foot (足) is stuck in a long, narrow trap (寿, which resembles a long shape). The feeling of being unable to move forward easily reminds you of hesitation — that’s 踌.

Write the left radical 足 first, with the final stroke turning into a left-falling stroke (not a horizontal). The right part 寿 has 7 strokes; be careful not to confuse the top 一 with 夂 — the bottom is 寸, not 才. The overall character is left-narrow and right-wide.

䠀 (tǎng) means "to wade" and has a different right component (尚), while 跆 (tái) means "to trample" and uses 台. Unlike these more physical foot actions, 踌 specifically refers to mental hesitation or wavering. Visually, 踌 has 寿 on the right, not 尚 or 台.

踌 appears mainly in the common word 踌躇 (chóu chú), meaning "to hesitate" or "to waver." The idiom 踌躇满志 (chóu chú mǎn zhì) describes a person who is deeply proud and self-satisfied after success, often used to describe someone feeling complacent. It is a formal, literary expression, not common in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 踌 include: 踌躇 (chóu chú) — to hesitate; to waver; 踌躇满志 (chóu chú mǎn zhì) — enormously proud of one's success; self-satisfied; 略微踌躇 (lüè wēi chóu chú) — To hesitate slightly.