错误

• Pinyin: cuò wù
• Hanzi breakdown: 错 = 钅(metal) + 昔 (past), originally meaning interlocking; 误 = 讠(speech) + 吴 (a surname, phonetic), meaning mistake or delay

Meaning

Mistake; error; wrong; incorrect. Refers to something that deviates from what is correct or proper.

Functions as both a noun (an error or mistake) and an adjective (wrong, incorrect). More formal than 错 alone. Used in academic, professional, and everyday contexts. Common collocations include 犯错误 (make a mistake), 错误信息 (incorrect information), and 纠正错误 (correct an error).

Examples

1. 每个人都会犯错误，重要的是从中学习。 Everyone makes mistakes; the important thing is to learn from them.
2. 这篇文章里有几个错误的数据。 There are several incorrect data points in this article.
3. 老师帮我找出了作文中的错误。 The teacher helped me find the errors in my essay.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, work, everyday

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 我发现报告里有一个错误。(I found an error in the report.)
• 承认错误是进步的第一步。(Admitting mistakes is the first step toward progress.)

Don't Say

• 你是一个错误 (Don't use 错误 to describe a person — it sounds extremely harsh; use 你做错了 for 'you made a mistake' or 你的做法不对 for 'your approach was wrong')

Origin & History

Compound of 错 (wrong, interlocking) and 误 (mistake, delay), both carrying the meaning of deviation from correctness.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal