误 (wù) — to mistake (in understanding or action); to mis-; to delay; to miss (a deadline or scheduled event)
Definition
误 (wù) is a formal verb meaning to make a mistake or to miss/delay — it functions as the verb element in compounds like 误会, 误解, 失误, 错误. By itself, 误 is mostly written/formal; in speech use the compounds.
verb
to mistake (in understanding or action)to mis-to delayto miss (a deadline or scheduled event)
Examples
- 误。Tā wù ná le bié rén de shǒu jī.He mistakenly took someone else's phone.
- ，误。Yīn wèi xià yǔ, bǐ sài wù le yì xiǎo shí.Because of rain, the game was delayed by an hour.
- ，误。Kuài zǒu, bié wù le zuì hòu yì bān chē.Hurry up, don't miss the last bus.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
Appears in
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