Meaning of 错过
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to miss (train, opportunity etc)
How to use 错过
错过 is used for missing chances, trains, events, or people, things that pass by and are gone. It often appears with 了 or in warnings like 别错过 (don't miss it). Example: 我错过了最后一班车。(Wǒ cuòguò le zuìhòu yì bān chē.) I missed the last bus.
错 (cuò) means wrong and 过 (guò) means to pass. If something passes you by at the wrong moment, you have missed it.
Common mistake: Learners use 错过 for missing a person emotionally, like 'I miss you.' That is 想你 (xiǎng nǐ), not 错过你, which means you let someone slip away. Also, 错过 is not for missing a target or skipping class; use 没打中 or 缺课 for those.
错过 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
错 cuò · mistake · 13 strokes
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过 guò · to cross · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 错过.
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 过来 | guòlái | to come over; to manage |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 过去 | guòqù | (in the) past; former; previous; to go over; to pass by |
| 通过 | tōngguò | to pass through; to get through; to adopt (a resolution); to pass (legislation) |
| 经过 | jīngguò | to pass; to go through |
| 超过 | chāoguò | to surpass; to exceed |
| 难过 | nánguò | to feel sad; to feel unwell |
| 见过 | jiànguo | |
| 走过 | zǒuguò | to walk past; to pass by |
| 过年 | guònián | to celebrate the Chinese New Year |
| 错误 | cuòwù | mistaken; false; wrong; error; mistake |
Questions about 错过
What does 错过 mean?
错过 (cuòguò) means "to miss (train, opportunity etc)" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 错过?
错过 is made of 2 characters: 错 (13 strokes), 过 (6 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 错过 an HSK word?
Yes. 错过 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 错过 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 错过 is written 錯過.
What is the difference between 错过 and 想念?
错过 means failing to catch something as it passes, such as a train or opportunity. 想念 (xiǎngniàn) means missing someone or something you long for. 我想念你 is 'I miss you', while 我错过了你 suggests you lost your chance with that person.
Can 错过 be used in a romantic sense?
Yes. Saying two people 错过了 means they met at the wrong time or never got together despite a chance. It is a common theme in songs and dramas, for example 我们错过了彼此 (wǒmen cuòguò le bǐcǐ), we missed each other.