疑 (yí) - To doubt, suspect, question & uncertain, doubtful

疑Tone 2

yí ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

一懿

疑 · yí

To doubt, suspect, question;

uncertain, doubtful;

to hesitate.

To doubt, suspect, questionuncertain, doubtfulto hesitate.

Usage highlights

To doubtNo doubtSuspicionTo hesitateQuestion markSuspected case

Synonyms

  • 惑— To be puzzled, confused, doubtful
  • 猜— To guess, suspect, conjecture

Antonyms

  • 信— To believe, trust, have faith in
  • 确— Certain, definite, sure

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I suspect he is lying (我怀疑他在说谎).
  • There is no doubt about it (毫无疑问).
  • The police suspect a thief (警察怀疑有小偷).
  • I hesitate to make a decision (我迟疑做决定).

Collocations

  • To doubt(怀疑)
  • No doubt(无疑)
  • Suspicion(疑心)
  • To hesitate(迟疑)
  • Question mark(疑问号)
  • Suspected case(疑似病例)

Idioms

  • Half-believing, half-doubting(半信半疑)
  • Without the slightest doubt(毋庸置疑)
  • Suspicious of everyone and everything(疑神疑鬼)
  • Filled with suspicion and fear(疑惧不安)
  • To harbor doubts in one's heart(心存疑虑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical Chinese philosophy, excessive doubt was sometimes cautioned against as it could hinder decisive action.
  • The character appears in many legal and investigative contexts, relating to suspicion and evidence evaluation.
  • In traditional medicine, '疑病症' refers to hypochondria - the condition of being overly suspicious about one's health.

FAQ