过失

• Pinyin: guò shī
• Hanzi breakdown: 过 = transgression; 失 = 手 (hand) + oblique stroke — to let something slip from one's hand

Meaning

Fault; negligence; an error or omission arising from carelessness rather than intent.

A formal legal and ethical term distinguishing unintentional mistakes from deliberate wrongdoing. Used in legal proceedings (过失杀人 — manslaughter), professional accountability, and moral discussions. Implies culpability without malice.

Examples

1. 法庭认定该医生的行为构成医疗过失，判决其承担赔偿责任。 The court ruled that the doctor’s conduct constituted medical negligence and ordered him to pay compensation.
2. 这次事故是工人操作过失所致，并非设备本身的问题。 This accident was caused by the worker’s operational error, not a problem with the equipment itself.
3. 他主动承认了自己的过失，并向受影响的客户逐一道歉。 He voluntarily admitted his mistake and apologized one by one to the affected clients.

Usage Guide

Context: law, ethics, accountability, workplace

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 他因过失导致公司遭受损失，须依规承担相应责任。(He caused the company to incur losses through negligence and must bear corresponding responsibility as required.)
• 过失与故意犯罪在法律上的定性和量刑存在显著差异。(Negligence and intentional crime differ significantly in legal characterisation and sentencing.)

Don't Say

• 这只是一个小过失，别太在意 — while understandable, 过失 carries formal weight; for minor everyday slip-ups use 小失误 or 小错误

Origin & History

过 (fault, transgression — as in 过错) + 失 (to lose, to err, to fail)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal