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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liánhéCoordinate

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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