错误 (cuò wù) — (adjective) wrong, mistaken; (noun) mistake, error

Definition

错误 (cuòwù) is the formal written word for 'mistake' or 'wrong' — more serious and bookish than everyday 错. As a noun it pairs with 犯 (犯错误); 失误 and 差错 are narrower terms for specific kinds of slip-ups.

adjective
wrongmistaken
noun
mistakeerror
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 错误。
    Wǒ fàn le yí gè yán zhòng de cuò wù.
    I made a serious mistake.
  • 错误。
    Zhè ge jué dìng shì cuò wù de.
    This decision is wrong.
  • 错误。
    Nǐ yào bì miǎn fàn tóng yàng de cuò wù.
    You should avoid making the same mistake.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

错cuòwrong
误wùmistake

'错' and '误' both mean wrong, together giving 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.

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 →

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 誤; 误 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
吳
吳wú誤wù
Same sound today

The traditional form 誤 uses 言 (speech) for meaning and 吳 for sound, giving the idea of speaking an error; the simplified 误 is a later shorthand.

Open 误 →
Appears in
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