延误

延誤

yánwù

verb HSK 7 #12,919

Meanings

1 to delay; to hold up
2 to miss (a deadline or opportunity)

Characters

to extend; to prolong

to miss; mistake; error

Literally 'extend into error' — a delay that causes something to go wrong or be missed.

Examples

航班延误了两个小时。

Hángbān yánwù le liǎng ge xiǎoshí.

The flight was delayed by two hours.

不要延误治疗时间。

Bùyào yánwù zhìliáo shíjiān.

Don't delay the treatment time.

Tips

usage

延误 implies the delay causes harm or missed opportunities. For neutral delays, use 推迟 (tuīchí). You'd say 航班延误 (flight delayed — something went wrong) but 会议推迟 (meeting postponed — a deliberate reschedule).

Stroke Order

延 yán

误 wù