adjective HSK 5
mào shi
rash · reckless · impetuous · thoughtless

Meaning

冒失 describes someone who acts hastily or carelessly without thinking things through first. It carries a mildly negative connotation, suggesting that a person's impulsive behavior may lead to mistakes or awkward situations. The word combines 冒 (to risk/venture) and 失 (to lose/miss), literally suggesting 'risking loss' through hasty action.

Usage

This word is commonly used to describe people's behavior or personality traits, often in everyday conversation. It's not extremely harsh criticism, but rather a gentle observation that someone needs to be more careful or thoughtful. Native speakers often use it when someone has done something awkward or embarrassing due to lack of consideration, like speaking out of turn or acting without permission.

Examples

  1. 01
    他做事太冒失了,常常不考虑后果。
    zuò shì tài mào shi le, cháng cháng kǎo hòu guǒ.
    He acts too rashly and often doesn't consider the consequences.
  2. 02
    对不起,我刚才太冒失了,不该那样说话。
    Duì bu , gāng cái tài mào shi le, gāi yàng shuō huà.
    I'm sorry, I was too thoughtless just now. I shouldn't have spoken that way.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 冒失
    mào shi guǐ
    rash person (colloquial)
  • 冒失
    tài mào shi
    too rash
  • 行为冒失
    xíng wéi mào shi
    rash behavior

Antonyms

Origin

The word combines 冒 (to venture/risk boldly) with 失 (to lose/miss), creating the meaning of losing out or making mistakes due to rash, unconsidered actions.

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