冤枉

• Pinyin: yuān wang
• Hanzi breakdown: 冤 = 冖 + 兔 (trapped rabbit, injustice); 枉 = 木 + 王 (bent wood)

Meaning

To wrong someone; to accuse falsely. As an adjective, wronged or unjust.

Describes treating someone unfairly through false accusations or misjudgment. Also used for wasted effort or money spent in vain. Common in legal, interpersonal, and emotional contexts.

Examples

1. 他被冤枉成了小偷。 He was falsely accused of being a thief.
2. 你这样说我真是太冤枉了。 If you say that, you’re really wronging me.
3. 我花了冤枉钱买了这个没用的东西。 I wasted money buying this useless thing.

Usage Guide

Context: accusations, disputes, complaints

Tone: emotional

Do Say

• 好人被冤枉的案子终于平反了。(The case of the wrongly accused innocent person was finally overturned.)
• 你别冤枉好人，事情不是他做的。(Don't wrongly accuse an innocent person; he didn't do it.)

Don't Say

• 我冤枉了这个机会 — use 错过 for missing opportunities; 冤枉 is for wrongful accusations

Origin & History

冤 (injustice) + 枉 (crooked/wrong)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal