不正确
bù zhèngquè
The English phrase "incorrect" is translated into Chinese as 不正确 (bù zhèngquè).
不正确 is used to describe something that is not correct or not according to the facts. It is often used in formal contexts, such as when discussing incorrect data, incorrect theories or incorrect political stances.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 不 (not) and 正确 (correct/accurate).
Which one should you use?
While 不正确 is used for factual or logical inaccuracy, 不对 is a more common and versatile way to say something is "wrong" or "not right" in daily conversation. For the specific meaning of "inaccurate," the formal phrase 不准确 is used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
不正确 is a formal way to say "incorrect". Other formal options include 错误 for "incorrect" and 不准确 for "inaccurate". In contrast, 弄错了 is an informal way to express that one "made a mistake" and 不对 is more frequently used in casual, spoken contexts than 不正确.
How do you pronounce it?
bù zhèngquè
Did you know?
- The word for 'correct' in 正确 contains the character 正, which originally depicted a plow cutting through the soil in a straight line. This suggests that 'correctness' is conceptually linked to the idea of following a straight, intended path.
- In Chinese culture, telling someone 不对 directly can be perceived as confrontational, so people often preface it with 好像 to say 'it seems' incorrect.
- The character 正, found in 正确, also means 'upright' or 'righteous'. This creates a linguistic overlap where being 'correct' in a factual sense is closely tied to being a person of high moral character.
Examples in context
- 你的答案是不正确的。Your answer is incorrect.
- 你对这个问题的回答是错误的。Your response to this question is incorrect.
- 这份报告中的数据是不准确的。The data in this report is inaccurate.
- 这个答案不对。This answer is incorrect.
- 你把问题的顺序弄错了。You mixed up the order of the questions.
- 他的说法是不正确的。Tā de shuōfǎ shì bù zhèngquè de.His statement is incorrect.
- 数据是不正确的。Shùjù shì bù zhèngquè de.The data is incorrect.
Example conversation
In an office, a man and a woman are checking a report.
- 佳怡 Jiayi俊杰，这个结果是不正确的。Jùnjié, zhège jiéguǒ shì bù zhèngquè de.Junjie, this result is incorrect.
- 俊杰 Junjie真的吗？我再检查一下。Zhēn de ma? Wǒ zài jiǎnchá yīxià.Really? I will check it again.
- 佳怡 Jiayi请仔细看看这些数字。Qǐng zǐxì kàn kàn zhèxiē shùzì.Please look closely at these numbers.
- 俊杰 Junjie你说得对，我写错了。Nǐ shuō de duì, wǒ xiě cuò le.You are right, I wrote it incorrectly.
