Common word› JLPT N1 › Freq. Frequency Top 10,000 Conjugation 躊躇する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ する 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しない Polite 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ します 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しません Past polite 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しました 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しませんでした Past 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ した 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しなかった Te-form 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ して 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しないで Desire 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ したい 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ したくない Potential 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ できる 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ できない Passive 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ される 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ されない Causative 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ させる 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ させない Causative passive 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ させられる 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ させられない Volitional 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しよう Polite volitional 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しましょう Imperative 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しろ 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ するな Conditional 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ すれば 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しなければ Tara conditional 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ したら 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ しなかったら
Usage patterns 〈 事こと 〉 を 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ する to hesitate over (doing) something
He hesitated to give a reply.
躊ちゅう 躇ちょ なく 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 to do something without hesitation
She went to help without hesitation.
躊ちゅう 躇ちょ の 色いろ を 見み せる to show a sign of hesitation
He showed a hint of hesitation before making the decision.
躊ちゅう 躇ちょ を 感かん じる to feel hesitation
I felt a little hesitation about that proposal.
Transitive / intransitive 躊躇する can be used intransitively, as in 彼はいつも躊躇する (he always hesitates), or transitively with an object marked by を, as in 彼は返事を躊躇した (he hesitated over his reply).
Related words ためらう is a common native verb meaning 'to hesitate', more conversational, while 躊躇 is the Sino-Japanese noun form often used with する in slightly more formal contexts.
迷う means to be unsure or unable to choose among options, a broader state of confusion, whereas 躊躇 specifically implies holding back from taking action.
尻込み emphasizes shrinking back or losing one's nerve, often out of fear, while 躊躇 is a more general term for indecision or hesitation.
躊躇 describes the act of hesitating to do something, while 迷い is the broader mental state of indecision or uncertainty.
躊躇する is the general verb for hesitating over any action, while 兼ねる in expressions like 言いかねる specifically conveys reluctance to say or do something out of consideration for others.
Opposites 決断 means making a firm decision or being decisive, the opposite of 躊躇 , which is hesitating and failing to act.
躊躇する means to hesitate and hold back, the opposite of 踏み切る which means to finally overcome hesitation and act.
Written forms 躊ちゅう 躇ちょ Usage 94%
Standard kanji spelling; the kanji are visually complex but this is the normal dictionary form.
ちゅうちょ Usage 6%
Kana spelling is also practical in everyday writing, especially when avoiding the complex kanji.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound read ちゅうちょ . No historical derivation is specified. The kanji spelling is conventionally associated with hesitation or indecisive stopping.
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