马虎

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

Significado

descuidado; chapucero; poco meticuloso

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.'

Ejemplos

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。
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。
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。

Guía de uso

Contexto: character description, workplace, education

Tono: critical

Correcto

• 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.)

Incorrecto

• 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

Origen e historia

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

Contexto cultural

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal