Chinese word

上错

Pronunciation

Pinyinshàng cuò

Meaning

  • verbget on the wrong vehicle

Example

我刚才上错车，现在要坐回去。wǒ gāng cái shàng cuò chē xiàn zài yào zuò huí qù

I just got on the wrong vehicle, so now I have to ride back.

Illustration for 上错 (get on the wrong vehicle)

More examples

等到终点站才发现自己上错车，只能再坐回去。děng dào zhōng diǎn zhàn cái fā xiàn zì jǐ shàng cuò chē zhǐ néng zài zuò huí qù

I only realized at the terminal station that I had gotten on the wrong vehicle, so I had to ride back.

Core concept

An ordinary act of boarding or entering reaches an unintended target.

Common phrases

  • 上错车shàng cuò chē

    get on the wrong vehicle

Similar words

乘错chéng cuò: Getting on the wrong bus, train, or other vehicle by mistake.
坐错zuò cuò: Sitting in the wrong seat by mistake.
进错jìn cuò: Entering the wrong room or classroom by mistake.
走错zǒu cuò: Going in the wrong direction by mistake.

Definition in Chinese

错误地登上不是自己要去的车辆或误入与自己目的无关的场所cuò wù dì dēng shàng bú shì zì jǐ yào qù de chē liàng huò wù rù yǔ zì jǐ mù dì wú guān de cháng suǒ

Word origin

上 (shàng, "get on or enter") supplies the action and 错 (cuò, "wrong") identifies its mistaken target, producing a verb used for an incorrect boarding or entry.

Usage tips

  • The word is useful when a situation needs a quick correction, because it names the error before a speaker explains where to go or what to do next.

Other meanings

  • attend the wrong classverb

Word lists with this word