错乱 (cuò luàn) — in disorder; confused; deranged (of mental state)

Definition

Used for things that are disordered or confused — applies to both physical systems (a program, a sequence) and mental/cognitive states. Stronger than just 乱, with a sense of malfunction or breakdown.

adjective
in disorderconfusedderanged (of mental state)

Examples

  • 错乱，。
    Tā zuì jìn jīng shén cuò luàn, zǒng shuō xiē qí guài de huà.
    He's been mentally deranged lately, always saying strange things.
  • 错乱，。
    Zhè ge chéng xù yùn xíng cuò luàn, xū yào jiǎn chá.
    This program is running in disorder and needs to be checked.
  • 错乱，。
    Tā de jì yì cuò luàn le, fēn bù qīng guò qù hé xiàn zài.
    Her memory is confused; she can't distinguish the past from the present.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

错cuòdisordered
乱luànchaotic

错 means disordered and 乱 means chaotic, so the word describes confusion or derangement.

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 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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