The New Dictionary.
Search dictionary
Chinese/Dictionary entry

阴差阳错

yīn chā yáng cuòdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
(idiom) due to an unexpected turn of events
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-4699e3f9436e8506. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

陰差陽錯 阴差阳错 [yin1 cha1 yang2 cuo4] /(idiom) due to an unexpected turn of events/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 陰差陽錯

  • 阴
    yīn

    overcast (weather) / cloudy / shady / Yin (the negative principle of Yin and Yang) / negative (electric.) / feminine / moon / implicit / hidden / genitalia

    Yīn

    surname Yin

  • 差
    chā

    difference / discrepancy / (math.) difference (amount remaining after a subtraction) / (literary) a little / somewhat / slightly

    chà

    different / wrong / mistaken / to fall short / to lack / not up to standard / inferior / Taiwan pr. [chā]

    chāi

    to send (on an errand) / (archaic) person sent on such an errand / job / official post

    cī

    used in 參差|参差[cēn cī]

  • 阳
    yáng

    positive (electric.) / sun / male principle (Taoism) / Yang, opposite: 陰|阴[yīn]

  • 错
    cuò

    mistake / wrong / bad / interlocking / complex / to grind / to polish / to alternate / to stagger / to miss / to let slip / to evade / to inlay with gold or silver

    Cuò

    surname Cuo

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.