蹉

A phono-semantic compound:

足 — foot (semantic)

差 — difference; error (phonetic)

The primary, concrete meaning of 蹉 is “to slip or stumble while walking”—a physical misplacement of the foot.

From this literal sense, the character naturally developed abstract meanings:

- making a mistake

- falling behind

- losing proper timing

- failing to act at the right moment

Thus, 蹉 comes to express human error caused by delay or misjudgment.

In modern Korean, 蹉 is mostly restricted to classical expressions and is rarely used alone.

차타 (蹉跎) — wasting time; letting years slip away (literary)

차과 (蹉過) — missing an opportunity (rare, formal)

蹉 carries a strong temporal and moral nuance.

Often associated with youth wasted, ambition delayed, or opportunity missed.

Rare in daily language but powerful in literary and philosophical contexts.

Related characters:

跌 — to fall

跎 — to walk slowly

誤 — error; mistake

失 — to lose; to miss

差 — difference; fault

Classical usage:

蹉跎 — “to let time slip away; to waste one’s years”

This is the most famous compound containing 蹉.

蹉 — misstep

跎 — slow walking

Together, they describe a life stalled by hesitation or missed chances.

Classical prose

「少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲，蹉跎歲月也。」

“If one does not strive in youth, one will grieve in old age—this is called letting the years slip away.”

Here, 蹉 carries a moral warning rather than a physical meaning.

In literature, 蹉 often conveys:

- regret

- wasted potential

- the cruelty of time

It frequently appears in lamentations, self-reflection, and didactic writing.

Unlike characters that mean “mistake” directly, 蹉 emphasizes "error caused by delay, hesitation, or bad timing."