Definition
延误 means 'to delay' and focuses on a delay that causes something to fall behind schedule or miss an opportunity, often with negative consequences. It's stronger than 晚点 (used only for scheduled services like trains/flights) and more formal than 耽误 (which can also mean 'to waste time'). Unlike 延期 (to postpone intentionally), 延误 implies the delay is unplanned or due to external factors.
verb
to delayto be delayedto cause a delayto miss (an opportunity)
Easily confused
- 厌恶yàn wùsound-aliketo loathe, to detest
Examples
- ，延误。Yóuyú bàofēngyǔ, hěn duō hángbān dōu yán wù le.Due to the storm, many flights were delayed.
- 延误。Zhège xiàngmù de jìndù yǐjīng yán wù le sān gè yuè.The progress of this project has been delayed by three months.
- ，延误。Rúguǒ wǒmen zài yóuyù, jiù huì yán wù zuìjiā shíjī.If we hesitate any longer, we will miss the best opportunity.
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