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搖擺不定

简摇摆不定 · 繁搖擺不定

Mandarin · pinyin yáo bǎi bù dìng

indecisive
wavering

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Characters in this entry

搖: yáo · wag, swing, wave; shake; scull
擺: Look up this written character
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
定: dìng · decide, settle, fix
摇: yáo · wag, swing, wave; shake; scull
摆: bǎi · put, place; display; swing, sway

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–3–4–4 · yao2 bai3 bu4 ding4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

搖擺不定 · find source passages ↗ · 摇摆不定 · find source passages ↗

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Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jiu4 baai2 bat1 ding6

Cantonese word readings for 搖擺不定. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to be irresolute; to shilly-shally

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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