# 悬



## yuechu

Hello/大家好，

I recently heard the following conversation on TV:

"一凡能去吗？“ [去看新买的房子]
"一凡啊。估计他有点悬吧。 他最近挺忙的。除了上班就是往医院跑。"

Does anyone know what 悬 means here? From the context, I think it might mean something like 不一定 maybe because he is too tired/stressed but the dictionary definitions don't seem to fit (except maybe "worried" but I don't think that's the right one.. )

Thanks!


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## SuperXW

You are basically right about 不一定. It's a spoken usage. Two dictionary definitions are related to this usage.
If you check here: http://www.zdic.net/z/19/js/60AC.htm
The very basic meaning of this word is "hang" or "be hung", then it develops meaning 2: 没有着落，没有结束, which usually means "difficult to say".
Also, something hung there is considered "dangerous". Here it comes meaning 4. 危险. So, "probably will fail".
e.g. A:他能获选吗？ B:我看悬吧。


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## yuechu

Thanks for your help, as always, SuperXW!


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## sas1661

"悬" is literally translated as "suspend", there is a Chinese saying "悬而未决"， meaning "a issue is hanging there and has not been settled ". We use "悬" after someone else give a positive guess or conclusion, conveying the meaning of "this issue have not had an conclusion", and further implying the meaning that "I highly doubt it". “悬” normally is not used to refute negative guess or conclusion, eg.他明天不会来的.  we dont use 悬 to refute it


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## Skatinginbc

baosheng said:


> 他有点悬吧...Does anyone know what 悬 means here?


No, I don't.  That is to say, not all Chinese speakers know this usage.  I have no problem with 此事悬而未决, in which 悬 "pending" is the predicate of an issue (事).  I however cannot accept such sentences as 他悬而未决, in which 悬 describes a person (他). 
 Similarly, I can understand the following: 
 A: 他能获选吗？ B:我看悬吧。 ==> 悬 answers "他能不能获选". 
A: 他明天会来吗？ B: 我看有点悬吧. ==> 悬 answers "他明天会不会来"
A:  一凡能去看新房吗？  B: 一凡啊, 估计有点悬吧. ==> 一凡 is the topic, 啊 is a topic marker,  and 悬 answers "一凡能不能去看新房", a question about the topic 一凡.
But the OP's sentence confuses me greatly:  
A: 一凡能去看新房吗？  B: 一凡啊。估计他有点悬吧 ==> 一凡 is the topic, 他 is the subject, and 悬 is the predicate of  the subject (他), which is a person.  As 悬 modifying a person is  ungrammatical in my book, my brain goes haywire, searching for  alternative interpretations such as  "worried", "alone", and so forth,  before finally reaching a conclusion: "I don't know what it is talking  about."


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## retrogradedwithwind

Hi skatinginbc, since you have said:
A: 一凡能去看新房吗？ B: 一凡啊, 估计有点悬吧. ==> 一凡 is the topic, 啊 is a topic marker, and 悬 answers "一凡能不能去看新房", a question about the topic 一凡.

Then why do you have a question of  他有点悬?

those have same structure.
一凡有点悬
他啊，估计有点悬吧


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## Skatinginbc

他啊(topic)，估计有点悬吧 ≠ 估计他(subject)有点悬吧 or 一凡啊 (topic), 估计他(subject)有点悬吧 
他啊(topic)，估计有点悬吧 ==> Speaking of him, I guess it is still pending.  (_It_ refers to 他能不能去)
一凡啊 (topic), 估计他(subject)有点悬吧 ==> Speaking of 一凡, I guess he is still pending.


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## retrogradedwithwind

Well, no matter whether there is 啊，估计 in 他有点悬, the sentence means same to me. Which is 悬 is not 他, but the question asked before.


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## fyl

The sentence sounds natural to me too. 他 is not the subject. Instead it is the topic. Not sure how to explain "double topic" from the grammar way. But I can tell for sure that this sentence does not have a mistake if it is said by a northerner.


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## Skatinginbc

懸 "unresolved" = 久延不決的, 無法解決而擱置的 (e.g., 懸案 = 懸著的案件, 無法解決而擱置的案件或問題; 此事懸而未决).
懸 "hard to tell" = 難說, 難以定論 (This usage may be foreign to Taiwan Mandarin speakers): 一凡啊, 估计他有点悬吧 = 說到一凡啊, 我想他去不去有點難以定論吧.
 懸 "suspenseful" = 令人懸疑 (e.g., 這部偵探片真懸)
Thus 挺懸的案件 could mean "很令人懸疑的案件" or "很難定論的案件" vs. 挺玄的案件 (= 很深奧難解的案件); and 這事有點懸 could mean "這事有點令人懸疑" or "這事有點難以定論" vs. 這事有點玄 (= 這事有點深奧難解).


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## retrogradedwithwind

悬，玄Those two means similar (same ) in sentences like 挺xuan的案子 to a certain degree, I think I have no interest in differing them.


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## brofeelgood

Personally, I see a distinction between 悬案 (long, unresolved) and 玄案 (difficult, abstruse). Undoubtedly, a 悬案 is typically defined as such because it also happens to be a 玄案. However, the line starts to blur for me when it comes to something like 挺悬的案子 and 挺玄的案子. I don't think I have a problem using either, but something tells me (well... it's a gut feel on a Friday afternoon, so... ) they're not exactly the same.

And what do you guys think about:
- 这句话挺玄的 vs 这句话挺悬的
- 这人挺玄的 vs 这人挺悬的

Same, different or the same difference?


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## retrogradedwithwind

这句话挺玄的 vs 这句话挺悬的
same, or similar.
It means 这话挺玄乎的

这人挺玄的 vs 这人挺悬的
different 
Former: he is mysterious, powerful, like a wizard
Latter: he is at the edge of successfully doing something


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## brofeelgood

retrogradedwithwind said:


> 这句话挺玄的 vs 这句话挺悬的
> same, or similar.
> It means 这话挺玄乎的
> 
> 这人挺玄的 vs 这人挺悬的
> different
> Former: he is mysterious, powerful, like a wizard
> *Latter: he is at the edge of successfully doing something*



Good stuff. This is new to me. I've always thought describing someone as 挺悬的 means he is 
(1) distant and unfathomable, or 
(2) not up to par in comparison


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## Skatinginbc

这人挺悬的, 他有点悬吧 ==> 人 + 悬.  See why I was confused by OP's sentence? 

悬 corresponds to English "suspense", which describes:
1.  the  condition  of  being  physically  suspended(e.g., 悬空)
2.  the  state  or  quality  of  being  undecided,  uncertain,  or  doubtful (e.g., 懸而未决)
3.  anxiety  or  apprehension  resulting  from  an  uncertain,  undecided,  or  mysterious  situation (e.g., 悬念)
4.   pleasurable  excitement  and  anticipation  regarding the  ending  of  a  story (e.g., 懸疑偵探片)  

这人挺悬的 casts the person in a negative light: (1) He is of mysterious and questionable  character that arouses doubt, uncertainty, anxiety and apprehension.   He is difficult and potentially dangerous. Your mistrust of him keeps you on  guard. (2) Chasing after instant success, he is taking a risky short cut without building a solid foundation as though he were walking on a rope or on the edge of a precipice, ready to fall.  He may be high and grand today, but tomorrow he could very well meet his demise. 

这人挺玄的 portrays the person in a positive light: He is intriguingly abstruse and mysterious.  Although he may  appear to be somewhat "out there" like a being from outer space, you see him as being profound, benign and potentially  beneficial to you. 

I would write 这句话挺玄的, but never 这句话挺悬的.  The latter does not make too much sense for me.

挺悬的案子 = 很懸疑的案件 (e.g, 內情曲折的冤案). 
挺玄的案子 = 很玄奇的案件 (e.g., 借屍還魂, murder cases on the X-Files).


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## retrogradedwithwind

I know what you mean now, skatinginbc.
But there is a question before 他挺悬的, so it's certain that it means 他能不能来很悬. This is my opinion. Context here decides all.

玄乎，悬乎，mean the same I think, so do 这话挺悬（玄）的. And.....yes, 挺玄 is better as you claimed.


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## brofeelgood

How about the following? Are they valid?

每个参赛者都很强.相比之下,他(的实力)还挺悬的.

他这人挺悬的,所作所为都令人意想不到.


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## retrogradedwithwind

每个参赛者都很强.相比之下,他(的实力)还挺悬的.
No, I dont use them this way. But I will say 他才悬呢，竟然赢了比赛。

他这人挺悬的,所作所为都令人意想不到.
I think this is right .


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## fyl

It's interesting that there so many different understandings about 悬.  I'll provide mine.

To sum up,
1. I have serious trouble with 悬 meaning similar to 玄 or "suspenseful". To me there is always a distinction between 悬 and 玄.
And 悬 is not used alone for the meaning "悬疑". “這部偵探片真懸” sounds weird to me. (And doesn't 悬 in 悬疑 mean "unresolved"???)

2. 悬 can mean "likely to fail", "difficult to succeed". This should be a northern slang. Previous posts explained it as "hard to tell", this is close, but not accurate.


悬乎 means "likely to fail", for example "我看这事，悬乎啊"(=够呛).
玄乎 means 玄虚不可捉摸, for example, "这事够玄乎的"(=邪乎)。
So they are quite different to me. (Sorry for using these two slangs 够呛, 邪乎. Currently I don't have more accurate words in mind.)

挺懸的案件 does not make much sense to me, though 懸案(unresolved) and 这场官司挺悬的(we are likely to lose) are fine.
(挺玄的案件 is fine and it means as everyone understands.)

這事有點懸 only means "这事很可能失败". "這事有點難以定論" is close, but not accurate.

这句话挺悬的 does not make much sense to me, either.
(这句话挺玄的 is fine and it means as everyone understands.)

这人挺悬的 needs a context to sound correct. I also have trouble with "每个参赛者都很强.相比之下,他(的实力)还挺悬的.", but I would only correct the parenthesis: 每个参赛者都很强.相比之下,他(能不能赢)还挺悬的, and this means the opposite to #18. As said above, 悬 meaning 玄 is alien to me, so "他这人挺悬的，所作所为都令人意想不到" is weird.


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## Skatinginbc

fyl said:


> 悬 can mean "likely to fail", "difficult to succeed". This should be a northern slang. Previous posts explained it as "hard to tell", this is close, but not accurate.


 
Then what does "一凡啊。估计他有点悬吧" mean exactly?  I'm confused again.


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## brofeelgood

"一凡啊。估计他有点悬吧"

I interpreted this as "He is (quite far from / not anywhere near the possibility of) meeting the expectation (of him coming)".

I'm getting confused too.


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## fyl

Skatinginbc said:


> Then what does "一凡啊。估计他有点悬吧" mean exactly?  I'm confused again.


Sorry for confusing. I was thinking about the 官司 and 参赛者 examples, so used "fail" and "succeed", but there is no "fail" or "success" in this example.
What I meant is, "hard to tell" can be "likely", or "unlikely", or neither, whereas 悬 is more or less explicitly negative "unlikely"/"fail"/.... #2 SuperXW also points something similar.
For example,
不试试怎么知道不行？能不能成功谁都说不准. This is encouraging.
不试试怎么知道不行？能不能成功挺悬的. The first sentence is encouraging, the second one is discouraging. 

一凡啊。估计他有点悬吧 means YiFan is unlikely to come.



brofeelgood said:


> I interpreted this as "He is (quite far from / not anywhere near the possibility of) meeting the expectation (of him coming)".


This is correct.


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## Skatinginbc

fyl said:


> 悬 is not used alone for the meaning "悬疑".


悬疑: 心頭吊著疑惑 (feelings of doubt or uncertainty), 情節曲折緊張刺激 (cliff-hanging), for instance, 「李天一案很悬，内幕很可怕」, 「这结局真悬, 吓死我了！」 .


fyl said:


> 这场官司挺悬的(we are likely to lose)


As an isolated sentence, 这场官司挺悬的 means 这场官司挺曲折的, 七上八下, 起伏不定 to me. 

Most of the usages we have discussed so far are non-standard or slangy   in my opinion, and it is not my intention to endorse any of them as being   "proper" although I have given my intuitive interpretations for them.


brofeelgood said:


> "一凡啊。估计他有点悬吧" I  interpreted this as "He is (quite far from / not anywhere near the  possibility of) meeting the expectation (of him coming)".





fyl said:


> This is correct.


That confuses me as well.  Brofeelgood's "far from" or "not anywhere near" interpretation comes from the definition of 悬殊 (差别大, 距离远), but  SuperXW's "probably will fail" interpretation comes from the definition of "dangerous" 危险.


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## fyl

Skatinginbc said:


> That confuses me as well.  Brofeelgood's "far from" or "not anywhere near" interpretation comes from the definition of 悬殊 (差别大, 距离远), but  SuperXW's "probably will fail" interpretation comes from the definition of "dangerous" 危险.



Well, this is getting complicated... If so, I have misunderstood brofeelgood. Basically I agree with brofeelgood that the 悬 means something negative. For the exact meaning, it should be "dangerous" (不是指人身遇到的那种“危险”，而是“事情难以保险”) or "likely to fail to meet the expectation".


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## Skatinginbc

fyl said:


> it should be "dangerous".


悬 meaning "dangerous" is considered "dialectal" given that this definition is marked with the notation 〈方〉 in 汉典 and is absent in 國語辭典.  May I say "估计他有点悬吧" should be considered "dialectal" or "non-standard" even if it sounds natural in the Beijing dialect?


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## fyl

Skatinginbc said:


> May I say "估计他有点悬吧" should be considered "dialectal" or "non-standard" even if it sounds natural in the Beijing dialect?


I completely agree and I also think it is dialectal though it sounds natural to me, since it is really colloquial and seldom written. I have said it is a northern slang in #19. But it is the kind of commonly known slangs among northerners maybe, not the very dialectal ones...


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