Definitions

cuò (verb) to handle; to manage; to arrange
cuò (verb) to take action; to implement

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "措" is etymologically composed of the hand radical, suggesting actions related to manual intervention, paired with the component "昔", which functions primarily as a phonetic indicator while subtly evoking notions of time or prior states. Its original sense concerned the physical act of placing or setting things in order with the hands, a concrete meaning that gradually extended into more abstract domains of management and arrangement. Over time, the character's usage expanded to signify the handling of affairs or the implementation of plans, as seen in compounds like "措施" for measures or steps, and "措辞" for the formulation of language. This semantic progression from tangible placement to figurative organization and preparation illustrates how the character's core association with deliberate action has been maintained while adapting to broader conceptual applications.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

采取施保护环境很重要。

cuò qǔ cuò shī bǎo hù huán jìng hěn zhòng yào。

Taking measures to protect the environment is very important.

他的报告辞非常谨慎。

tā de bào gào cuò cí fēi cháng jǐn shèn。

The wording in his report is very cautious.

听到这个消息,他显得手足无

tīng dào zhè gè xiāo xi, tā xiǎn dé shǒu zú wú cuò。

Upon hearing this news, he appeared at a loss.

公司正在为这个项目筹资金。

gōng sī zhèng zài wèi zhè gè xiàng mù chóu cuò zī jīn。

The company is raising funds for this project。

警方已经对紧急情况做了周密的置。

jǐng fāng yǐ jīng duì jǐn jí qíng kuàng zuò le zhōu mì de cuò zhì.

The police have made meticulous arrangements for the emergency.

面对复杂的局面,他总能置裕如。

miàn duì fù zá de jú miàn, tā zǒng néng cuò zhì yù rú。

Faced with complex situations, he always handles them with ease.

事出突然,我们都有些手不及。

shì chū tū rán, wǒ men dōu yǒu xiē cuò shǒu bù jí。

It happened so suddenly that we were all caught off guard.

这篇论文在关键概念的意上尚有可商榷之处。

zhè piān lùn wén zài guān jiàn gài niàn de cuò yì shàng shàng yǒu kě shāng què zhī chù。

There is still room for discussion regarding the interpretation of key concepts in this thesis.