Meaning
马虎 describes a careless, inattentive, or sloppy attitude toward doing something. It suggests lack of attention to detail or taking things too lightly, often resulting in mistakes or poor quality work.
Usage
Commonly used to criticize someone's work quality or approach to tasks. Parents and teachers frequently use this word to scold students for careless mistakes. Can also describe someone's general personality trait of being careless. Often appears in the phrase 马马虎虎 (mǎ ma hǔ hu) meaning 'so-so' or 'just passable.'
Examples
- 01你做作业太马虎了，有很多错误。, .You were too careless with your homework; there are many mistakes.
- 02这件事很重要，千万不能马虎。, .This matter is very important; we absolutely cannot be careless.
Characters
Common collocations
- 马马虎虎so-so, just passable
- 做事马虎to do things carelessly
- 态度马虎careless attitude
- 太马虎了too careless
Antonyms
Origin
The origin is debated, but one popular story involves a Song Dynasty painter who drew a horse's head but added a tiger's body when interrupted. When asked what animal it was, he carelessly replied 'so-so' (马马虎虎). The term came to represent carelessness and lack of precision.