徘徊

Chinese

trad. (徘徊)		徘	徊
simp. #(徘徊)		徘	徊
alternative forms		俳佪 俳回 裴回 裵回

Etymology

A reduplicative, ideophonic compound in Old Chinese.

Compare 婓婓 (OC *pʰɯl pʰɯl, “coming and going”), 回回 (OC *ɡuːl ɡuːl, “revolving; turning”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): páihuái, páihuí

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄞˊ ㄏㄨㄞˊ, ㄆㄞˊ ㄏㄨㄟˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): pui⁴ wui⁴

• Eastern Min (BUC): bài-*huòi / bài-*huài
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): pâi-hôe / pâi-hoâi / pâi-hâi
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶be-we

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: páihuái
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄞˊ ㄏㄨㄞˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: páihuái
    • Wade–Giles: pʻai²-huai²
    • Yale: pái-hwái
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pairhwai
    • Palladius: пайхуай (pajxuaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰaɪ̯³⁵ xu̯aɪ̯³⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, variant)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: páihuí
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄞˊ ㄏㄨㄟˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: páihuéi
    • Wade–Giles: pʻai²-hui²
    • Yale: pái-hwéi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pairhwei
    • Palladius: пайхуэй (pajxuej)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰaɪ̯³⁵ xu̯eɪ̯³⁵/

Note: The huái reading developed irregularly from Middle Chinese. The huí reading is more commonly used (1) by non-Mainlanders, (2) in songs, poems and operas, and (3) by people unfamiliar with the character.

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: pui⁴ wui⁴
    • Yale: pùih wùih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: pui⁴ wui⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: pui⁴ wui⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰuːi̯²¹ wuːi̯²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: bài-*huòi / bài-*huài
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pai⁵³⁻³³ hui⁵³/, /pai⁵³⁻³³ huai⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pâi-hôe
    • Tâi-lô: pâi-huê
    • Phofsit Daibuun: pai'hoee
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /pai²³⁻³³ hue²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /pai²⁴⁻¹¹ hue²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /pai¹³⁻²² hue¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou): /pai²⁴⁻²² hue²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pâi-hoâi
    • Tâi-lô: pâi-huâi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: pai'hoaai
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /pai²³⁻³³ huai²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /pai²⁴⁻¹¹ huai²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pâi-hâi
    • Tâi-lô: pâi-hâi
    • Phofsit Daibuun: pai'haai
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /pai²³⁻³³ hai²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /pai²⁴⁻¹¹ hai²⁴/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶be-we
    • MiniDict: be^去 we
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³be-hhue
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /be²² ɦue⁴⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: bwoj hwoj

Rime
Character	徘	徊
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	並 (3)	匣 (33)
Final (韻)	灰 (42)	灰 (42)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Closed
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	薄回切	戸恢切
Baxter	bwoj	hwoj
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/buʌi/	/ɦuʌi/
Pan Wuyun	/buoi/	/ɦuoi/
Shao Rongfen	/buɒi/	/ɣuɒi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/bwəj/	/ɦwəj/
Li Rong	/buᴀi/	/ɣuᴀi/
Wang Li	/buɒi/	/ɣuɒi/
Bernhard Karlgren	/bʱuɑ̆i/	/ɣuɑ̆i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	péi	huí
Expected Cantonese Reflex	pui4	wui4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*buːl  ɡuːl/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	徘	徊
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	3072	5444
Phonetic component	非	回
Rime group	微	微
Rime subdivision	1	2
Corresponding MC rime	裴	回
Old Chinese	/*buːl/	/*ɡuːl/

Verb

徘徊

1. to pace back and forth; to walk to and fro; to wander

   • 徐徘徊於山阿兮，飄風來之洶洶。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     徐徘徊于山阿兮，飘风来之汹汹。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

     Xú páihuái yú shān'ē xī, piāofēng lái zhī xiōngxiōng. [Pinyin]

     Threading my way round the curves of the mountains,
     Till the whirlwind came with blusterous roaring.

   • 音樂博衍無終極兮，焉及逝以徘徊。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     音乐博衍无终极兮，焉及逝以徘徊。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

     Yīnyuè bóyǎn wú zhōngjí xī, yān jí shì yǐ páihuái. [Pinyin]

     The music swelled and swelled into infinity,
     After that I left them and resumed my wandering.

   • 旦徘徊於長阪兮，夕仿偟而獨宿。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     旦徘徊于长阪兮，夕仿偟而独宿。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

     Dàn páihuái yú chángbǎn xī, xī pánghuáng ér dúsù. [Pinyin]

     In the morning I wander on the long hill's bluff;
     In the evening I fearfully go to my lone rest.

2. (figurative) to linger; to hover around; to be reluctant to leave

   • 徐風至而徘徊兮，疾風過之湯湯。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     徐风至而徘徊兮，疾风过之汤汤。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

     Xúfēng zhì ér páihuái xī, jífēng guò zhī tāngtāng. [Pinyin]

     The soft wind blew in uncertain eddies;
     The wild wind passed with a rushing blast.

   • 2017, “猶原是你”, in 陳英吉 (lyrics), 黄俊銘 (music), 原色, performed by 溫瀚龍:

     過去千言萬語徘徊耳孔邊 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     过去千言万语徘徊耳孔边 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     kòe-khì chhian-giân-bān-gí pâi-hôe hīⁿ-khang-piⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     Myriads of words of the past linger by my year

3. (figurative) to hesitate; to dither; to waver
4. (figurative) to oscillate; to fluctuate; to vary (between two values)

Synonyms

• (to pace back and forth):

edit

• 彷徨 (pánghuáng)
• 盤旋 / 盘旋 (pánxuán)
• 盤桓 / 盘桓 (pánhuán)
• 走來走去 / 走来走去 (zǒuláizǒuqù)
• 踟躇 (chíchú)
• 踟躕 / 踟蹰 (chíchú)
• 躑躅 / 踯躅 (zhízhú)

• (to hesitate):

edit

• 反顧 / 反顾 (fǎngù) (literary)
• 彳亍 (chìchù) (literary, figurative)
• 彷徨 (pánghuáng) (figurative)
• 拿不定主意 (nábùdìng zhǔyì)
• 游移 (yóuyí)
• 猶疑 / 犹疑 (yóuyí)
• 猶豫 / 犹豫 (yóuyù)
• 疑蟯 / 疑蛲 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 盤桓 / 盘桓 (pánhuán) (figurative)
• 膩 / 腻 (nyi⁴) (Sichuanese)
• 踟躇 (chíchú)
• 踟躕 / 踟蹰 (chíchú)
• 躊躇 / 踌躇 (chóuchú)
• 巡巡 (xúnxún) (literary)
• 逡巡 (qūnxún) (literary)
• 遲疑 / 迟疑 (chíyí)

Derived terms

• 弭節徘徊 / 弭节徘徊
• 徘徊不前
• 徘徊不定
• 徘徊歧路
• 徘徊花
• 徘徊菊
• 徘徊觀望 / 徘徊观望
• 徘徊輿 / 徘徊舆
• 歧路徘徊
• 觀望徘徊 / 观望徘徊

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (徘徊):

• → Japanese: 徘徊(はいかい) (haikai)
• → Korean: 배회(徘徊) (baehoe)
• → Vietnamese: bồi hồi (徘徊)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
徘	徊
はい Hyōgai	かい Hyōgai
on'yomi

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) はいかい [hàíkáí] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ha̠ika̠i]

Noun

徘(はい)徊(かい) • (haikai) 

1. prowling

Verb

徘(はい)徊(かい)する • (haikai suru) suru (stem 徘(はい)徊(かい)し (haikai shi), past 徘(はい)徊(かい)した (haikai shita))

1. to prowl, to wander, to loiter

Conjugation

Conjugation of "徘徊する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	徘徊し	はいかいし	haikai shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	徘徊し	はいかいし	haikai shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	徘徊する	はいかいする	haikai suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	徘徊する	はいかいする	haikai suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	徘徊すれ	はいかいすれ	haikai sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	徘徊せよ¹ 徘徊しろ²	はいかいせよ¹ はいかいしろ²	haikai seyo¹ haikai shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	徘徊される	はいかいされる	haikai sareru
Causative	徘徊させる 徘徊さす	はいかいさせる はいかいさす	haikai saseru haikai sasu
Potential	徘徊できる	はいかいできる	haikai dekiru
Volitional	徘徊しよう	はいかいしよう	haikai shiyō
Negative	徘徊しない	はいかいしない	haikai shinai
Negative continuative	徘徊せず	はいかいせず	haikai sezu
Formal	徘徊します	はいかいします	haikai shimasu
Perfective	徘徊した	はいかいした	haikai shita
Conjunctive	徘徊して	はいかいして	haikai shite
Hypothetical conditional	徘徊すれば	はいかいすれば	haikai sureba

¹ Written imperative
² Spoken imperative

References

• “^▲徘^▲徊”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja in this term
徘	徊

Noun

徘徊 • (baehoe) (hangeul 배회)

1. hanja form^? of 배회 (“prowling; loitering”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
徘	徊

Adjective

徘徊

1. chữ Hán form of bồi hồi (“uneasy; restless; ill at ease; anxious”)