<p>First we will deal with the origin (English):  </p>

<p>doubt is, in a sense, <code>questioning something</code><br>
suspect is, on the other hands, <code>distrusting something</code>  </p>

<p>back to your example, you can identify the 2 sentences like this:  </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I doubt (this 100 yuan bill is fake)    </p>
</blockquote>

<p>thus you are questioning the bill's..."fake-ness" which implies you think it's real  </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I suspect (this 100 yuan bill) is fake</p>
</blockquote>

<p>thus you are distrusting this bill, thinking it's fake.</p>

<p>Now, to the translation:<br>
我怀疑这张百元钞票是假的
is definitly the second explanation - <strong>I suspect this 100 yuan bill is fake</strong>.  </p>

<p>The way to express <strong>I doubt this 100 yuan bill is fake</strong> would be:<br>
我对这张百元钞票是假的有怀疑</p>

<p>Hope this gives you an idea.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-17T20:37:48.480Z
What about translating "不过，我总是怀疑你们需不需要我的帮助”. Here is it used as "doubt"?
TheRealFakeNews
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-17T20:40:30.247Z
Also, does adding  `是否` change the meaning in your example sentence?
TheRealFakeNews
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-17T20:55:49.383Z
It's the same for "不过，我总是怀疑你们需不需要我的帮助" - I suspect if you will need my help.  the sentence  I doubt if you will need my help will be better like this: " 不过，我总是怀疑你们不需要我的帮助".  I believe there's a mechansim behind it but I am not knowledge enough to give you some references on it.
Alex
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-17T20:58:23.580Z
you're correct on 否.  I have edited the answer
Alex
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-17T20:15:04.847Z
2015-07-17T20:58:30.550Z
2015-07-17T20:58:30.550Z
Alex
<p>怀疑 means (1) to doubt, and (2) to suspect. This seems to lead to some confusing translations. For example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我怀疑这张百元钞票是假的</p>
</blockquote>

<p>could have two very different translations. If I use "to doubt", then it would translate to</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I doubt this 100 yuan bill is fake</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Meaning that you think it's real. On the other hand, if I use suspect, it would translate to</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I suspect this 100 yuan bill is fake</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Meaning you think it's most likely fake. These are nearly complete opposite meanings! </p>

<p>I don't believe my understanding of the word is wrong b/c I've heard it used in both contexts (though I may indeed be wrong), but how am I to know when definition is being applied?</p>

<translation><ambiguity><meaning>
Clarifying usage and definition of 怀疑
# Clarifying usage and definition of 怀疑

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-17)

怀疑 means (1) to doubt, and (2) to suspect. This seems to lead to some confusing translations. For example:

> 我怀疑这张百元钞票是假的

could have two very different translations. If I use "to doubt", then it would translate to

> I doubt this 100 yuan bill is fake

Meaning that you think it's real. On the other hand, if I use suspect, it would translate to

> I suspect this 100 yuan bill is fake

Meaning you think it's most likely fake. These are nearly complete opposite meanings!

I don't believe my understanding of the word is wrong b/c I've heard it used in both contexts (though I may indeed be wrong), but how am I to know when definition is being applied?

**Tags:** translation, ambiguity, meaning


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-07-17. Score: 3

First we will deal with the origin (English):

doubt is, in a sense, `questioning something`  
suspect is, on the other hands, `distrusting something`

back to your example, you can identify the 2 sentences like this:

> I doubt (this 100 yuan bill is fake)

thus you are questioning the bill's..."fake-ness" which implies you think it's real

> I suspect (this 100 yuan bill) is fake

thus you are distrusting this bill, thinking it's fake.

Now, to the translation:  
我怀疑这张百元钞票是假的
is definitly the second explanation - **I suspect this 100 yuan bill is fake**.

The way to express **I doubt this 100 yuan bill is fake** would be:  
我对这张百元钞票是假的有怀疑

Hope this gives you an idea.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: What about translating "不过，我总是怀疑你们需不需要我的帮助”. Here is it used as "doubt"?  
> **username_0**: Also, does adding  `是否` change the meaning in your example sentence?  
> **username_1**: It's the same for "不过，我总是怀疑你们需不需要我的帮助" - I suspect if you will need my help.  the sentence  I doubt if you will need my help will be better like this: " 不过，我总是怀疑你们不需要我的帮助".  I believe there's a mechansim behind it but I am not knowledge enough to give you some references on it.  
> **username_1**: you're correct on 否.  I have edited the answer  

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