Chinese Conversation · Level 21
90 words
Chinese word
误服
Pronunciation
Pinyinwù fú
Meaning
- verbtake by mistake
Example
他不小心误服了别人的药。tā bù xiǎo xīn wù fú le bié rén de yào
He took someone else's medicine by mistake.
More examples
孩子把瓶子当饮料喝，误服洗洁精后被家人发现并送医。hái zi bǎ píng zi dāng yǐn liào hē wù fú xǐ jié jīng hòu bèi jiā rén fā xiàn bìng sòng yī
After the child mistook the bottle for a drink and accidentally swallowed dish soap, the family found the child and took them to the hospital.
Core concept
The wrong medicine, or the right medicine taken in error, is swallowed unintentionally.
Common phrases
误服药wù fú yào
take medicine by mistake
误服药片wù fú yào piàn
take pills by mistake
误服洗洁精wù fú xǐ jié jīng
swallow dish soap by mistake
Similar words
服用fú yòng: Taking medicine as directed or as part of treatment.
误食wù shí: Eating food or a harmful substance by mistake.
误吞wù tūn: Swallowing an object or liquid by mistake.
Definition in Chinese
因错误或疏忽而服用药物。yīn cuò wù huò shū hū ér fú yòng yào wù
Word origin
误服 (wùfú, "take medicine by mistake") is formed from 误 (wù, "mistake") + 服 (fú, "take medicine"), directly joining the idea of error to the act of taking a drug.
Usage tips
- English often leaves the cause of taking medicine unstated, but this Chinese verb makes the accidental nature central, which helps distinguish a medication mistake from normal treatment.