错事 (cuò shì) — something wrong, a mistake

Definition

noun

something wronga mistake

Measure word · 件

错事。
Tā zuò le yí jiàn cuò shì.
He did something wrong.
错事，。
Měi gè rén dōu huì fàn cuò shì, zhòng yào de shì gǎi zhèng.
Everyone makes mistakes; the important thing is to correct them.
错事，。
Zhè bú shì nǐ de cuò shì, bié zì zé.
This isn't your mistake; don't blame yourself.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

错 means wrong and 事 means matter, so together they mean a wrong matter or mistake.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 錯; 错 is its simplified writing.

金昔錯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

昔

昔xī錯cuò

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 錯 pairs 金 (metal) with 昔 as a sound part; the simplified 错 is a later abbreviation.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Appears in