  In contrast to extensively studied dense star-forming cores, little is known
about diffuse gas surrounding star-forming regions. We study molecular gas in
the high-mass star-forming region NGC6334I, which contains diffuse, quiescent
components that are inconspicuous in widely used molecular tracers such as CO.
We present Herschel/HIFI observations of CH toward NGC6334I observed as part of
the CHESS key program. HIFI resolves the hyperfine components of its J=3/2-1/2
transition, observed in both emission and absorption. The CH emission appears
close to the systemic velocity of NGC6334I, while its measured linewidth of 3
km/s is smaller than previously observed in dense gas tracers such as NH3 and
SiO. The CH abundance in the hot core is 7 10^-11, two to three orders of
magnitude lower than in diffuse clouds. While other studies find distinct
outflows in, e.g., CO and H2O toward NGC6334I, we do not detect outflow
signatures in CH. To explain the absorption signatures, at least two absorbing
components are needed at -3.0 and +6.5 km/s with N(CH)=7 10^13 and 3 10^13
cm^-2. Two additional absorbing clouds are found at +8.0 and 0.0 km/s, both
with N(CH)=2 10^13 cm^-2. Turbulent linewidths for the four absorption
components vary between 1.5 and 5.0 km/s in FWHM. We constrain physical
properties of our CH clouds by matching our CH absorbers with other absorption
signatures. In the hot core, molecules such as H2O and CO trace gas that is
heated and dynamically influenced by outflow activity, whereas CH traces more
quiescent material. The four CH absorbers have column densities and turbulent
properties consistent with diffuse clouds: two are located near NGC6334, and
two are unrelated foreground clouds. Local density and dynamical effects
influence the chemical composition of physical components of NGC6334, causing
some components to be seen in CH but not in other tracers, and vice versa.
