失常 (shī cháng) — abnormal; off; not up to one's usual standard

Definition

Describes a person, performance, or machine behaving unusually poorly — 'off' from its normal standard. Often pairs with 表现 (performance) or 发挥 (play), and can describe both living beings and equipment.

adjective
abnormaloffnot up to one's usual standard

Examples

  • 失常，。
    Tā jīn tiān kǎo shì shī cháng, méi kǎo hǎo.
    He did poorly on today's exam — he was off his game.
  • 失常，。
    Zhè wèi xuǎn shǒu zài jué sài zhōng biǎo xiàn shī cháng, shū gěi le duì shǒu.
    This athlete performed below par in the finals and lost to the opponent.
  • 失常，。
    Jī qì yùn xíng shī cháng, xū yào mǎ shàng jiǎn xiū.
    The machine is running abnormally and needs immediate inspection.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

失shīlose
常chángnormal state

失 (losing) what is normal 常 gives the sense of odd or off.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape is explained as a fallen person's footprint surrounded by drops of blood; another reading pairs 手 (hand) and 乙 to show something falling from a hand.

Open 失 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng常cháng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Open 常 →

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