错开 (cuò kāi) — to stagger (times, schedules); to alternate

Definition

A verb meaning to stagger or offset two times/schedules so they no longer overlap. Always needs an object (e.g. 错开时间, 错开班次) — unlike 调换, which means to swap or exchange.

verb
to stagger (times, schedules)to alternate

Examples

  • 错开，。
    Wǒ men kě yǐ bǎ huì yì shí jiān cuò kāi, zhè yàng jiù bú huì chōng tū le.
    We can stagger the meeting times so they don't conflict.
  • 错开，。
    Zhè liǎng gè bān cì xū yào cuò kāi, bì miǎn tóng shí xiū xi.
    These two shifts need to be staggered to avoid taking breaks at the same time.
  • ，错开。
    Wèi le jiǎn shǎo jiāo tōng yōng dǔ, gōng sī jué dìng cuò kāi shàng xià bān shí jiān.
    To reduce traffic congestion, the company decided to stagger the commuting times.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

错cuòstagger
开kāiapart

错 means to stagger, and 开 gives the sense of pulling apart.

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.

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.

Open 错 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

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