verb HSK 5
Traditional 耽誤
to delay · to hold up · to waste time
Meaning
耽误 means to cause a delay or to hold something or someone up, often resulting in missed opportunities or wasted time. It carries a slightly negative connotation, suggesting that time has been lost or that someone has been prevented from doing something important.
Usage
Commonly used when someone or something causes you to be late, miss a deadline, or lose valuable time. Often appears in apologetic contexts or when expressing concern about time loss. Frequently used with 时间 (time) as the object.
Examples
- 01不好意思，我耽误你时间了。, .Sorry for taking up your time.
- 02路上堵车，耽误了半个小时。, .There was a traffic jam on the road, which delayed me for half an hour.
Characters
Common collocations
- 耽误时间to waste time
- 耽误工作to delay work
- 别耽误don't delay
- 被...耽误了...to be held up by...
Antonyms
Origin
The character 耽 originally meant to indulge or linger, while 误 means to err or miss. Together they emphasize the idea of lingering too long and thus missing or delaying something important.