duì 对 vs cuò 错 – correct vs wrong
In Mandarin, duì 对 and cuò 错 are basic opposites used to say something is correct or wrong. They appear in simple sentences and short responses.
duì 对
Use duì 对 to confirm that something is correct, such as an answer, fact, or action. It can stand alone in a response or appear after a noun or clause.
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cuò 错
Use cuò 错 to say that something is wrong or mistaken. Like duì 对, it can be a short reply or part of a sentence pointing out an error.
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Usage
When asked for confirmation, you can reply simply with duì 对 or cuò 错. For more detail, add a reason or restate the correct information.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📝 我做这道题做对了。 | Wǒ zuò zhè dào tí zuò duì le. | I did this problem correctly. | Correct answer on assignment |
| ❌ 我的答案好像写错了。 | Wǒ de dá'àn hǎoxiàng xiě cuò le. | It seems I wrote the answer wrong. | Wrong answer notice |
| 👍 老师说我的方法很对。 | Lǎoshī shuō wǒ de fāngfǎ hěn duì. | The teacher said my method is very correct. | Praise for method |
| 🙁 我的钱包忘带了，真糟糕。 | Wǒ de qiánbāo wàng dài le, zhēn zāogāo. | I forgot to bring my wallet, really bad. | Personal mistake (context) |
| ✅ 你交作业交对了时间。 | Nǐ jiāo zuòyè jiāo duìle shíjiān. | You submitted the homework at the correct time. | Timely submission |
| ❗ 老师说这个格式写错了。 | Lǎoshī shuō zhège géshì xiě cuò le. | The teacher said this format was written incorrectly. | Format error |
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Summary
duì 对 marks correctness and agreement, while cuò 错 highlights mistakes. They work both as brief replies and as components in longer sentences.
Last updated: Tue Sep 16, 2025