错 cuò
“mistake; wrong; bad”
verb, nounHSK 2 · 2021 list level 1Traditional 錯
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
错 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 326: 错 cuò — Level 2; official annotation 2 (形). PDF page 88
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 错
错 means "wrong" or "mistake". It is used alone as a predicate (我错了, 这是我的错) or, very often, after a verb as a result complement to show the action was done incorrectly: 说错, 写错, 做错, 走错. The pattern is verb + 错 (+ 了).
例句Example sentences
- 对不起，我说错了。duì bù qǐ, wǒ shuō cuò le.Sorry, I said it wrong.
- 这个字写错了。zhè ge zì xiě cuò le.This character is written wrong.
- 这不是你的错。zhè bú shì nǐ de cuò.This is not your fault.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗我错说了。
✓我说错了。
As a result complement, 错 comes after the verb, not before it.
-
✗我很错。
✓我错了。
错 meaning "wrong, mistaken" is not used with 很; it stands as a plain predicate.
义项All meanings
- Cuò: surname Cuo
- cuò: mistake; wrong; bad; interlocking; complex; to grind