误认为

誤認為

wùrènwéi

verb #33,140

Meanings

1 to mistakenly believe (that...); to wrongly assume (that...)
2 to mistake X for Y

Characters

mistake; wrongly

to recognize; identify

to be (literary copula)

Examples

我误认为他是新来的同事。

Wǒ wùrènwéi tā shì xīn lái de tóngshì.

I mistakenly thought he was a new colleague.

她常被误认为是双胞胎中的妹妹。

Tā cháng bèi wùrènwéi shì shuāngbāotāi zhōng de mèimei.

She is often mistaken for the younger of the twins.

很多人误认为吃巧克力会让人长痘。

Hěn duō rén wùrènwéi chī qiǎokèlì huì ràng rén zhǎng dòu.

Many people mistakenly believe that eating chocolate causes pimples.

Tips

grammar

误认为 takes a clausal complement: 误认为 + [statement / identity]. Pattern: 把 X 误认为 Y = 'mistake X for Y'; 被 X 误认为 Y = 'be mistaken by X for Y.' 为 here is the literary copula 'to be' (as in 以为, 认为) — not 'because' or 'for.'

memory

Three-character compound built from 误 (wrongly) + 认 (recognize) + 为 (to be). It's the cognitive twin of 认为 rènwéi (to think / believe) — 认为 = think it is X; 误认为 = wrongly think it is X.

Stroke Order

误 wù

认 rèn

为 wèi