冤枉 yuānwang to accuse wrongly
to accuse wrongly; to treat unjustly; injustice; wronged; not worthwhile
How to remember 冤枉: 冤 grievance + 枉 useless = to accuse wrongly.
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How it is used
- Core sense 'to wrong someone / accuse unjustly' - 你冤枉我了 (nǐ yuānwang wǒ le) you've wrongly accused me; 冤枉好人 (yuānwang hǎorén) to falsely blame an innocent person.
- A second everyday sense: '(money/effort) wasted, not worth it' - 花冤枉钱 (huā yuānwang qián) to spend money for nothing. Note the toneless 枉.