dānwu: 耽误 - Delay, Hold up, Lose time
Quick Summary
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Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 耽误 (dānwu), which means to delay or hold up, but with a critical negative implication. This page breaks down how 耽误 isn't just a neutral “postponement,” but a delay that causes you to waste time, miss an opportunity, or fall behind schedule. Discover its cultural importance, practical usage in daily life and business, and see how it differs from similar words like `推迟 (tuīchí)`.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): dānwu
Part of Speech: Verb
HSK Level: HSK 4
Concise Definition: To delay or hold up an activity or person, resulting in a negative consequence.
In a Nutshell: Think of 耽误 (dānwu) as a “bad delay.” It’s not just that something is happening later; it's that the delay is causing a problem. It could be traffic making you late for a crucial meeting, a long-winded conversation causing you to miss your train, or even a bad decision that hinders your career progress. The key feeling is that valuable time or an important opportunity has been lost due to the delay.
Character Breakdown
耽 (dān): This character can mean to indulge in or to delay. It suggests being held back or engrossed in something to the point of neglecting other duties.
误 (wù): This character means “mistake,” “error,” or “to miss.” It's composed of the “speech” radical (讠) and points to an error or a failure to achieve something.
Combined Meaning: Together, 耽误 (dānwu) literally means “to delay to the point of error” or “to cause a missed opportunity through delay.” This combination perfectly captures the negative consequence inherent in the word.
Cultural Context and Significance
In Chinese culture, punctuality and efficiency are often highly valued, not just for personal productivity but also as a sign of respect for others' time. To 耽误 (dānwu) someone is more than a simple inconvenience; it can be seen as disrespectful and irresponsible because you are actively causing them to lose something valuable—their time or their chance at an opportunity.
A great way to understand its weight is to compare it to the English phrase “to hold someone up.” While “The meeting was delayed” is a neutral statement of fact, “You held me up” is a direct accusation. 耽误 (dānwu) carries that same accusatory and negative weight. For example, a parent might scold a child, `别耽误了学习 (Bié dānwu le xuéxí)`, meaning “Don't let [playing games/watching TV] hinder your studies.” The implication is that the delay in studying will lead to a bad outcome (poor grades, a failed future). This reflects a deep-seated belief that time is a critical resource that, once lost, can negatively impact one's entire life path.
Practical Usage in Modern China
In Everyday Conversation
耽误 (dānwu) is extremely common in daily life to complain about or apologize for delays.
Traffic: `今天路上堵车，耽误了我半个小时。` (The traffic jam held me up for half an hour today.)
Apologies: `不好意思，耽误你几分钟时间。` (Sorry to take up a few minutes of your time.)
Giving Instructions: `快点走，别耽误了看电影。` (Hurry up, or we'll be late for the movie / we'll miss the beginning of the movie.)
In the workplace, 耽误 (dānwu) is used to talk about missed deadlines and project setbacks. It carries a serious tone.
Discussing Life Opportunities
This is a very important and culturally rich usage. 耽误 (dānwu) is often used to describe how certain choices or situations can hinder major life goals.
Career: `他为了照顾家人，耽误了自己的事业发展。` (He sacrificed his career development to take care of his family.)
Marriage: In a more traditional context, parents might worry: `再不找对象就耽误了！` (If you don't find a partner soon, you'll miss your chance!)
Health: `他因为害怕去医院，耽误了最佳治疗时间。` (Because he was afraid of going to the hospital, he missed the best window for treatment.)
Example Sentences
Example 1:
真抱歉，路上堵车，耽误你时间了。
Pinyin: Zhēn bàoqiàn, lùshang dǔchē, dānwu nǐ shíjiān le.
English: I'm so sorry, the traffic on the way here held me up and wasted your time.
Analysis: A common apology. Here, `耽误` specifically means “caused you to lose time” while you were waiting.
Example 2:
你有什么事就直说吧，别耽误大家工作。
Pinyin: Nǐ yǒu shéme shì jiù zhí shuō ba, bié dānwu dàjiā gōngzuò.
English: If you have something to say, just say it directly. Don't hold up everyone's work.
Analysis: This is a direct, slightly impatient command. It implies the person's actions are causing a work stoppage, which is a negative outcome.
Example 3:
一场大病耽误了他一年的学习。
Pinyin: Yī chǎng dàbìng dānwu le tā yī nián de xuéxí.
English: A serious illness set him back a year in his studies.
Analysis: This clearly shows the negative consequence. The illness caused him to lose a year of educational progress.
Example 4:
我们得快点，不然就要耽误上火车了。
Pinyin: Wǒmen děi kuàidiǎn, bùrán jiù yào dānwu shàng huǒchē le.
English: We have to hurry, otherwise we're going to miss the train.
Analysis: `耽误` here is used to describe the negative outcome of being too slow—missing the train.
Example 5:
为了孩子的教育，父母什么事都可以耽误，唯独这件事不行。
Pinyin: Wèile háizi de jiàoyù, fùmǔ shénme shì dōu kěyǐ dānwu, wéidú zhè jiàn shì bùxíng.
English: For their child's education, parents can let anything else be delayed, but not this.
Analysis: This highlights priorities. It means other things can be postponed or sacrificed, but the child's education cannot be allowed to suffer from delays.
Example 6:
这件小事不值得耽误我们这么长时间。
Pinyin: Zhè jiàn xiǎoshì bù zhídé dānwu wǒmen zhème cháng shíjiān.
English: This small matter isn't worth holding us up for so long.
Analysis: A phrase used to express that the time being spent is disproportionate to the issue's importance, implying a waste.
Example 7:
如果你现在不努力，就会耽误自己的前途。
Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ xiànzài bù nǔlì, jiù huì dānwu zìjǐ de qiántú.
English: If you don't work hard now, you will jeopardize your own future.
Analysis: A classic example of `耽误` referring to a major, abstract life consequence. The “delay” is in personal effort, and the “missed opportunity” is a bright future.
Example 8:
我就是来问个路，不会耽误您太久的。
Pinyin: Wǒ jiùshì lái wèn ge lù, bù huì dānwu nín tài jiǔ de.
English: I'm just here to ask for directions, I won't hold you up for too long.
Analysis: A polite phrase used when interrupting someone. It acknowledges that you are taking their time and promises it will be brief.
Example 9:
因为设备问题，我们的生产耽误了两天。
Pinyin: Yīnwèi shèbèi wèntí, wǒmen de shēngchǎn dānwu le liǎng tiān.
English: Due to equipment problems, our production was held up for two days.
Analysis: A common business usage. The delay directly resulted in a loss of productivity.
Example 10:
医生说，还好送来得及时，再晚一点就耽误治疗了。
Pinyin: Yīshēng shuō, hái hǎo sòng lái de jíshí, zài wǎn yīdiǎn jiù dānwu zhìliáo le.
English: The doctor said it was a good thing he was brought in time; any later and the treatment would have been delayed (and less effective).
Analysis: This shows a life-or-death consequence. To `耽误治疗` (delay treatment) means to miss the critical window for medical care.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
The most common mistake for English speakers is confusing 耽误 (dānwu) with 推迟 (tuīchí).
耽误 (dānwu): An unplanned delay with a negative result. It focuses on the wasted time or missed opportunity.
`因为下大雨，我被耽误在路上了。` (Yīnwèi xià dàyǔ, wǒ bèi dānwu zài lùshang le.) - Because of the heavy rain, I was held up on the road. (Negative, unplanned).
推迟 (tuīchí): To postpone; a planned or neutral rescheduling. It focuses on moving something to a later time.
`因为下大雨，我们把会议推迟到明天了。` (Yīnwèi xià dàyǔ, wǒmen bǎ huìyì tuīchí dào míngtiān le.) - Because of the heavy rain, we postponed the meeting until tomorrow. (Neutral, planned).
Common Mistake: Saying `我耽误了我的作业到明天。` (I delayed my homework until tomorrow.)
Why it's wrong: This sounds like you held up your homework, causing it to fail a deadline. If you mean you just decided to do it later (procrastinated), you should use 拖 (tuō):
Remember: Use 耽误 (dānwu) when you want to emphasize the negative consequence of the delay.
推迟 (tuīchí) - To postpone. The key difference is that `推迟` is often a planned, neutral act, whereas `耽误` is an unplanned, negative delay.
延迟 (yánchí) - To delay, defer. More formal and technical than `耽误`. Often used for things like flights, signals, or official deadlines. It's more neutral.
耽搁 (dāngē) - A close synonym for `耽误`, also meaning to be held up. It's slightly more formal and less common in everyday spoken Chinese.
拖延 (tuōyán) - To procrastinate. This describes the
action of intentionally putting something off, while `耽误` describes the
result of a delay (whether intentional or not).
错过 (cuòguò) - To miss out on, to let slip. This is often the direct result of being `耽误`. E.g., `因为堵车，我错过了火车。` (Because of the traffic jam, I missed my train).
浪费 (làngfèi) - To waste. Being `耽误` often leads to `浪费时间` (wasting time).
影响 (yǐngxiǎng) - To influence, to affect. A delay (`耽误`) will almost always `影响` (affect) your plans in a negative way.