犹豫不决
- Literal
- hesitate and not decide
- Figurative
- To keep wavering, going back and forth without making up one's mind; often critical in tone, the opposite of 毫不犹豫.
Where does 犹豫不决 come from?
The phrase goes back to the 《战国策》. When the army of Qin was besieging Handan, the capital of Zhao, the state of Wei sent Xinyuan Yan to propose that Zhao recognize the king of Qin as emperor in exchange for lifting the siege. Lord Pingyuan, Zhao's chief minister, wavered without reaching a decision (犹豫未有所决), until Lu Zhonglian stepped in and talked the envoy out of it. From that line came the fixed form 犹豫不决, used today for any indecision, from choosing an apartment to changing jobs.
Source (出处): 《战国策·赵策三》
How is 犹豫不决 used? Two examples
- 这两套房子各有优点,我看了好几遍还是犹豫不决。
Both apartments have their merits; I've seen them several times and still can't make up my mind.
- 老板对这个项目一直犹豫不决,结果被对手抢先了。
The boss kept wavering over the project, and in the end a competitor beat us to it.