Definition
错位 (cuò wèi) literally means 'misplaced position.' In medicine it refers to bone dislocation (like 肩膀错位). In figurative use it describes roles, relationships, or expectations that are out of alignment — e.g. role reversal or mismatched priorities. It is often used as a verb in both senses.
verb
(medicine) to be dislocated(figurative) to be misalignedto be in the wrong place
Examples
- 错位。Tā dǎ lánqiú shí jiānbǎng cuò wèi le.His shoulder was dislocated while playing basketball.
- 错位。Zhè zhǒng juésè cuò wèi ràng tuánduì hézuò biàn de hěn kùnnan.This kind of role reversal makes teamwork very difficult.
- 错位，，错位。Wéndàng lǐ de yèmǎ xūyào jiǎnchá, yǒu jǐ yè cuò wèi le.The page numbers in the document need checking; a few pages are misplaced.
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