支支吾吾

Chinese

		(a measure word); to support; to sustain (a measure word); to support; to sustain; to erect; to raise; branch; division; to draw money	(a measure word); to support; to sustain (a measure word); to support; to sustain; to erect; to raise; branch; division; to draw money	I; my	I; my
trad. (支支吾吾)		支	支	吾	吾
simp. #(支支吾吾)		支	支	吾	吾
AABB-type reduplication of 支吾 (zhīwú, “to falter”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhīzhīwúwú

  (Zhuyin): ㄓ ㄓ ㄨˊ ㄨˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi¹ zi¹ ng⁴ ng⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhīzhīwúwú
    • Zhuyin: ㄓ ㄓ ㄨˊ ㄨˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhihjhihwúwú
    • Wade–Giles: chih¹-chih¹-wu²-wu²
    • Yale: jr̄-jr̄-wú-wú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyjywuwu
    • Palladius: чжичжиуу (čžičžiuu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ u³⁵ u³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi¹ zi¹ ng⁴ ng⁴
    • Yale: jī jī ǹgh ǹgh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi¹ dzi¹ ng⁴ ng⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji¹ ji¹ ng⁴ ng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ ŋ̍²¹ ŋ̍²¹/

Verb

支支吾吾

1. to prevaricate; to falter; to hum and haw

   我問他，他回答支支吾吾。 [MSC, trad.]
   我问他，他回答支支吾吾。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ wèn tā, tā huídá zhī zhī wú wú. [Pinyin]

   I asked him, but he hummed and hawed before answering.