猶 (yóu) - hesitate, still, yet & like, similar to

猶Tone 2

yóu ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

咏与

猶 · yóu

hesitate, still, yet;

like, similar to;

as if;

used in classical Chinese to mean 'still' or 'yet';

also appears in names of animals like the jackal.

hesitate, still, yetlike, similar toas if

Usage highlights

hesitateas ifstill freshstill youngmemory still freshjackal

Synonyms

  • 仍— still, yet
  • 还— still, yet
  • 似— similar to, like

Antonyms

  • 决— decide, determined (antonym to hesitate)
  • 断— decide, sever (antonym to hesitate)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I still hesitate (犹豫).
  • It's as if I've seen it before (犹如).
  • He is still young (犹幼).
  • The memory is still fresh (记忆犹新).

Collocations

  • hesitate(犹豫)
  • as if(犹如)
  • still fresh(犹新)
  • still young(犹幼)
  • memory still fresh(记忆犹新)
  • jackal(犹狢)

Idioms

  • Fight with the courage of a cornered beast(困兽犹斗)
  • The plan is undecided(犹豫未决)
  • As if walking on thin ice(如履薄冰，战战兢兢，犹犹豫豫)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical Chinese, 犹 often functions as an adverb meaning 'still' or 'yet', adding a temporal or comparative dimension.
  • The character appears in the term 犹豫 (yóuyù) for 'hesitate', which etymologically may relate to animal behavior (like a deer pausing).
  • Used in literary contexts to draw comparisons (犹如 - 'just like').

FAQ