认错 (rèn cuò) — to admit one's mistake, to acknowledge an error | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

认错 means admitting one's own mistake (often before apologizing) — the focus is on acknowledging that YOU were wrong. Broader 承认 can admit any fact, while 更正 is to correct an error after the fact.

verb

to admit one's mistaketo acknowledge an error

Examples

认错。
Tā zhǔ dòng rèn cuò le.
He proactively admitted his mistake.
。
Tā xiàng wǒ rèn le yí gè cuò.
He admitted a mistake to me.
认错。
Nǐ yào xué huì rèn cuò dào qiàn.
You need to learn to admit mistakes and apologize.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

错cuòmistake

'认' means to admit and '错' means mistake, so it means to acknowledge a 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.

讠人认

Meaning part形符xíngfú

讠Written in full as言yánspeech

Sound part声符shēngfú

人

人rén认rèn

Same sound today

The left part 讠 shows speech, and the right part 人 gives the sound.

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Conflict & Agreement

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