故障

• Pinyin: gù zhàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 故 = 古 (old) + 攵 (strike), meaning incident or reason; 障 = 阝 (mound) + 章 (chapter), meaning barrier or obstruction

Meaning

Malfunction; breakdown; fault. A problem that causes equipment or systems to stop working properly.

Used for mechanical, electrical, or technical failures. Common collocations: 发生故障 (experience a malfunction), 故障排除 (troubleshooting), 系统故障 (system failure), 机械故障 (mechanical failure). More technical than 坏了 (broken) or 出问题 (has a problem).

Examples

1. 飞机因为发动机故障紧急返航，所幸没有造成人员伤亡。 The plane made an emergency return due to engine failure; fortunately, there were no casualties.
2. 电梯又出故障了，我只好爬了二十层楼梯。 The elevator broke down again, so I had to climb twenty flights of stairs.
3. 这款车的召回是因为刹车系统存在安全故障。 This car's recall was due to a safety defect in the braking system.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, machinery, transportation

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 系统出现故障了。(The system has malfunctioned.)
• 请检查一下是什么故障。(Please check what the problem is.)

Don't Say

• 用故障形容人 (Don't use 故障 for people — it's only for machines and systems; for health problems, use 毛病 or 问题)

Origin & History

Compound of 故 (reason, cause; incident) + 障 (obstruction, barrier). Together meaning 'an obstacle caused by some reason' — a failure or malfunction that prevents normal operation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal