noun HSK 4
accident · mishap · incident
Meaning
事故 refers to an unexpected event that causes damage, injury, or disruption, such as a traffic accident, workplace accident, or any unplanned incident. It emphasizes the unintended and often harmful nature of the event.
Usage
Commonly used in formal contexts like news reports, police reports, and safety discussions. Often appears in compounds like 交通事故 (traffic accident) or 安全事故 (safety incident). Native speakers use it for serious accidents rather than minor mishaps.
Examples
- 01昨天高速公路上发生了一起严重的交通事故。.A serious traffic accident occurred on the highway yesterday.
- 02为了避免事故，工人们必须戴安全帽。, .To avoid accidents, workers must wear safety helmets.
Characters
Measure words
- 起一起事故
- 场一场事故
Common collocations
- 交通事故traffic accident
- 发生事故an accident occurs
- 事故现场accident scene
- 安全事故safety accident
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 事 (matter/affair) and 故 (incident/cause) to create the meaning of an incident or unintended event. The character 故 originally meant 'old' or 'former' but evolved to mean 'cause' or 'reason' in classical Chinese.