Chinese word

仔细

Pronunciation

Pinyinzǐ xì

Meaning

  • adjectivecareful

Example

他是个很仔细的人。tā shì gè hěn zǐ xì de rén

He is a very careful person.

Illustration for 仔细 (careful)

More examples

医生在手术前仔细观察病情。yī shēng zài shǒu shù qián zǐ xì guān chá bìng qíng

The doctor carefully observed the patient's condition before the operation.

Core concept

A close, steady check of every small part of a task, with no detail allowed to slip past.

Common phrases

  • 仔细观察zǐ xì guān chá

    observe carefully

  • 仔细检查zǐ xì jiǎn chá

    check carefully

  • 仔细考虑zǐ xì kǎo lǜ

    consider carefully

Similar words

细心xì xīn: Careful observation notices small changes and catches errors.
细致xì zhì: Thorough work covers each small part and produces a polished result.
认真rèn zhēn: Serious effort in work or study avoids taking shortcuts.

Definition in Chinese

做事时留意每一处的细节，防止疏漏。zuò shì shí liú yì měi yí chù de xì jié fáng zhǐ shū lòu

Word origin

The compound 仔细 (zǐxì, "careful") combines 仔 (zǐ, "small") and 细 (xì, "fine"), giving the word a clear link to attention to fine points.

Usage tips

  • The word can describe a person's general manner or a single piece of work, depending on whether it modifies a noun or an action.

Other meanings

  • meticulousadjective
  • thoroughadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word