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神经错乱 (shén jīng cuò luàn) — mental disorder; insanity; going crazy

Definition

Strong, dramatic term for 'mental disorder / insanity,' more colloquial and emphatic than the clinical 精神病. Often used to react to bizarre behavior rather than for medical diagnosis.

noun
mental disorderinsanitygoing crazy

Examples

  • ，神经错乱。
    Tā zuì jìn yā lì tài dà, jīng shén kuài yào shén jīng cuò luàn le.
    He's been under so much pressure lately that he's nearly going crazy.
  • 神经错乱。
    Zhè zhǒng biàn tài xíng wéi jiǎn zhí shì shén jīng cuò luàn.
    This kind of perverted behavior is sheer insanity.
  • 神经错乱。
    Yī shēng zhěn duàn tā huàn le shén jīng cuò luàn.
    The doctor diagnosed her with a mental disorder.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

神经nerve
神shénspirit经jīngchannel
偏正Modifier + head
错乱disordered
错cuòwrong乱luànchaotic
联合Coordinate

神经 refers to nerves, and 错乱 means disordered, together describing mental confusion.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
示示shìgod; deity
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn神shén
Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

Open 神 →

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 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng經jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Open 经 →

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 亂; 乱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乚Written in full as乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤔔
𤔔𤔔亂luàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 亂 contains 𤔔, a drawing of combing tangled threads, and 乙; the simplified 乱 is only a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 乱 →
Appears in
Mental Health

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