仔细

• Pinyin: zǐ xì
• Hanzi breakdown: 仔 = 亻(person) + 子 (child) — young, careful; 细 = 糸 (silk) + 田 (field) — fine, thin

Meaning

Careful; attentive; thorough. Paying close attention to details and doing something with great care.

Can be used as an adjective (仔细的人) or adverb (仔细看). Often paired with 认真 (serious, conscientious). In some dialects, can also mean frugal or stingy.

Examples

1. 做实验的时候一定要仔细，不能出错。 When doing experiments, you must be careful — no mistakes allowed.
2. 她仔细阅读了合同的每一条款。 She carefully read every clause of the contract.
3. 仔细想想，这件事可能没那么简单。 Think carefully — this matter may not be that simple.

Usage Guide

Context: work, study, everyday

Tone: encouraging

Do Say

• 请仔细检查一下有没有错误。(Please carefully check for any errors.)
• 她是个很仔细的人，从不马虎。(She's a very careful person who's never sloppy.)

Don't Say

• 说'仔细点钱'表示小气 (While 仔细 can mean stingy in some dialects, avoid this usage in formal contexts — use 节俭 or 小气 instead)

Origin & History

仔 (young animal, careful) + 细 (fine, detailed). Together they emphasize attention to fine details.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal