马虎

• Pinyin: mǎ hu
• Hanzi breakdown: 马 = pictograph of a horse; 虎 = 虍 (tiger stripes) + 人 (person under claws) — tiger

Meaning

Careless; sloppy; inattentive to detail. Describes a person or action performed without proper care or thoroughness.

Used to describe both habitual carelessness in character and one-off negligent behaviour. Often a gentle criticism in everyday settings. The reduplication 马马虎虎 softens the meaning to 'so-so' or 'passable.'

Examples

1. 他在工作上一向马虎，提交的报告里总是充斥着错别字和数据偏差。 He’s always sloppy at work, and the reports he turns in are full of typos and off data.
2. 做实验时绝不能马虎，任何一个步骤出现偏差，都可能导致整批数据失效。 You can’t be careless when doing experiments—if any step is off, the entire batch of data could become useless.
3. 这孩子对学习马马虎虎，但一谈到音乐立刻就全神贯注，判若两人。 This kid is halfhearted about studying, but the moment you bring up music, he’s completely focused—like a different person.

Usage Guide

Context: character description, workplace, education

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 这份合同涉及金额较大，任何条款都不能马虎，务必逐字审阅，确保没有漏洞或歧义。(This contract involves a significant sum — no clause can be handled carelessly; every word must be reviewed to ensure there are no loopholes or ambiguities.)
• 他平时做事马虎，但这次居然把每个细节都处理得十分妥当，让大家颇感意外。(He is usually sloppy in his work, but this time he handled every detail with great care, which surprised everyone.)

Don't Say

• 用马虎描述严重的专业过失 — 马虎 implies mild everyday carelessness; for serious professional negligence use 疏忽 or 玩忽职守 instead

Origin & History

Origin debated; one popular story involves a painter who carelessly mixed up a tiger and a horse on a canvas, 马 (horse) + 虎 (tiger), causing fatal misidentification

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal