潦草

• Pinyin: liáo cǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 潦 = 氵 + 尞 (flooded/waterlogged — water moving without direction); 草 = 艹 + 早 (grass/rough — something coarse and unrefined)

Meaning

Careless; hasty; sloppy. Describes handwriting that is illegible or work done carelessly without proper attention.

Primarily used to describe untidy handwriting or work done in a rush without care. Can apply to written characters that are hard to read, or more broadly to any task completed sloppily. Carries a negative connotation of irresponsibility or insufficient effort. Common in academic and professional contexts when criticising poor workmanship.

Examples

1. 他提交的报告字迹潦草，评审委员会几乎无法辨认其中的内容。 His submitted report was written so sloppily that the review committee could barely make out the content.
2. 由于时间仓促，她只能潦草地记下几个关键词，事后再整理完整的笔记。 Because time was tight, she could only jot down a few keywords and organize full notes afterward.
3. 老师批评学生作业写得潦草，要求重新认真誊写一遍。 The teacher criticized the student for sloppy handwriting and required the assignment to be recopied neatly.

Usage Guide

Context: education, workplace critique, writing quality

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 这份申请材料填写得太潦草，不符合提交标准，必须重新填写清楚。(This application form has been filled in too carelessly — it does not meet submission standards and must be rewritten legibly.)
• 他平时写字潦草，但考试时会特别注意保持字迹工整。(He normally writes carelessly, but during exams he pays particular attention to keeping his handwriting neat.)

Don't Say

• 用'潦草'形容人的外貌或性格 — 该词专指书写或工作质量粗糙，形容外貌应用'邋遢'，形容性格应用'马虎'

Origin & History

潦 (flooded/hasty — water flowing carelessly) + 草 (grass/rough draft — something rough and unfinished)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal