How to Write 徉 (yáng) — Meaning “To wander / hover”

Imagine a sheep (羊) leisurely taking small steps (彳) around a field — that's the meaning "to wander." The pinyin yáng is exactly the same as "羊" (sheep), so you can remember: "The sheep (yáng) wanders (徉)."

The left radical 彳 (double person) is narrow and has three strokes: a short left-falling stroke, a left-falling stroke, and a vertical line. The right part 羊 has three horizontal strokes; the middle one is slightly shorter, and the bottom stroke becomes a long horizontal. Make sure the vertical stroke of 羊 goes down as a straight line, not curving.

彷 (páng or fǎng) often means "to imitate" or appears in 彷徨 (hesitate). 彸 (zhōng) is rare and means "restless" or "anxious." 徉 specifically means "to wander" or "hover" and is almost always used in the compound 徜徉 (cháng yáng), meaning a relaxed, aimless stroll — not hesitation or imitation.

徉 is not used alone in modern Chinese; it always appears in the two-character word 徜徉 (cháng yáng), meaning "to stroll leisurely" or "to wander contentedly." It is often used in poetic or literary descriptions of enjoying nature, like 徜徉在花海中 (strolling in a sea of flowers). This word carries a peaceful, carefree feeling.

Common words containing 徉 include: 徜徉 (cháng yáng) — To stroll leisurely; to wander.; 徘徉 (pái yáng) — To wander; to stroll; to hover.; 徜徉自得 (cháng yáng zì dé) — To wander leisurely and contentedly..