Chinese word

马虎

Pronunciation

Pinyinmǎ hǔ

Meaning

  • adjectivecareless

Example

别对工作马虎，要认真完成。bié duì gōng zuò má hǔ yào rèn zhēn wán chéng

Don't be careless with your work; finish it carefully.

Illustration for 马虎 (careless)

More examples

在这个项目中，任何环节都不能马虎。zài zhè ge xiàng mù zhōng rèn hé huán jié dōu bù néng má hǔ

No part of this project can be handled carelessly.

Core concept

Attention moves over a task in broad strokes, leaving small details unchecked and errors behind.

Common phrases

  • 马虎地完成任务má hǔ dì wán chéng rèn wù

    carry out a task carelessly

  • 对待学生不能马虎duì dài xué shēng bù néng má hǔ

    must not treat students carelessly

  • 在考试中答题马虎zài kǎo shì zhōng dá tí má hǔ

    give careless answers on an exam

Similar words

粗心cū xīn: Inattentive to small details, making forgetfulness and mistakes more likely.
草率cǎo shuài: Hasty and insufficiently considered, often leading to problems.
粗略cū lüè: Rough and incomplete, with important points left out and little thoroughness.

Definition in Chinese

做事不细心，态度敷衍或粗略，常省略细节且易出错，形容人或行为不认真。zuò shì bú xì xīn tài dù fū yǎn huò cū lüè cháng shěng lüè xì jié qiě yì chū cuò xíng róng rén huò xíng wéi bú rèn zhēn

Word origin

马虎 (mǎhǔ, "careless") is a fixed colloquial expression made from the words for horse and tiger, but its exact historical origin is uncertain.

Usage tips

  • In everyday criticism, the word can sound blunt when aimed at a person, so naming the missed detail often makes the comment more precise.

Other meanings

  • sloppyadjective
  • roughadjective
  • perfunctoryadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word