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错话 (cuò huà) — wrong words; improper remark

Definition

错话 refers to something you said that you shouldn't have — a slip of the tongue or a tactless remark. Pairs naturally with 说 and takes the measure word 句.

noun
wrong wordsimproper remark
Measure word · 句

Examples

  • 错话，。
    Tā shuō le yí jù cuò huà, ràng dà jiā dōu gān gà le.
    He said a wrong word, making everyone embarrassed.
  • 错话。
    Nǐ gāng cái shuō de cuò huà kě néng huì dé zuì rén.
    The wrong words you just said might offend people.
  • ，错话。
    Zài zhèng shì chǎng hé yào xiǎo xīn, bié shuō cuò huà.
    In formal occasions, be careful not to say wrong words.

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.

错cuòwrong
话huàwords

话 that are 错 are wrong remarks.

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 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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