Meaning and Usage
The verb '잘못되다' means 'to turn out wrong' or 'to go wrong.' It is often used to describe situations, plans, or things that do not proceed as expected or have errors.
Common Contexts
You will frequently hear '잘못되다' when talking about plans failing, machines malfunctioning, or events not going as intended. It can refer to both physical errors and abstract problems.
Collocations and Patterns
- 계획이 잘못되다: a plan goes wrong
- 일이 잘못되다: work or things go wrong
- 컴퓨터가 잘못되다: a computer malfunctions
- 잘못되면: if something goes wrong (conditional)
These collocations help you express various situations where something does not work out.
Register and Politeness
'잘못되다' is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It is common in everyday conversation and written language.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse '잘못되다' with '틀리다' (to be incorrect). '잘못되다' emphasizes that something has gone wrong or failed, often unexpectedly, while '틀리다' focuses on factual incorrectness. Use '잘못되다' when referring to failures or malfunctions rather than just mistakes.