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
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶be-we

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
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /pai²³⁻³³ hue²³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /pai²⁴⁻¹¹ hue²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /pai¹³⁻²² hue¹³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou): /pai²⁴⁻²² hue²⁴/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pâi-hoâi
  - Tâi-lô: pâi-huâi
  - Phofsit Daibuun: pai'hoaai
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /pai²³⁻³³ huai²³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /pai²⁴⁻¹¹ huai²⁴/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶be-we
  - MiniDict: be^去 we
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³be-hhue
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /be²² ɦue⁴⁴/

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

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.
(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.
(figurative) to hesitate; to dither; to waver
(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)
躊躇／踌躇 (chóuchú)
巡巡 (xúnxún) (literary)
逡巡 (qūnxún) (literary)
遲疑／迟疑 (chíyí)

Derived terms

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])^[1]
IPA^(key): [ha̠ika̠i]

Noun

徘(はい)徊(かい) • (haikai)

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))

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

^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
徘	徊

Noun

徘徊 • (baehoe) (hangeul 배회)

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

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
徘	徊

Adjective

徘徊

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

[NHK-1] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[1]