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误伤 (wù shāng) — (v.) to accidentally injure

Definition

Verb meaning 'to accidentally injure or harm (someone who was not the intended target)' — the injury is unintentional and often collateral. Mostly used for people, not oneself.

verb
(v.) to accidentally injure

Examples

  • 误伤。
    Tā zài dǎ liè shí wù shāng le tóng bàn.
    He accidentally injured his companion while hunting.
  • 误伤。
    Zhè cì shì gù wù shāng le hěn duō wú gū de rén.
    This accident injured many innocent people.
  • ，误伤。
    Wǒ bú shì gù yì de, wǒ zhǐ shì wù shāng le nín.
    I didn't mean to; I just accidentally injured you.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

误wùby mistake
伤shānginjure

误 means by mistake and 伤 means injure, giving accidental injury.

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 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 →

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 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →
Appears in
Injury & Disability

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