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忽视 (hū shì) — to neglect, to overlook, to ignore

Definition

忽视 means to deliberately ignore or pay no attention to something (a problem, detail, advice). Slightly stronger than 忽略 (more passive 'overlook'); for failing to notice something entirely, use 疏忽.

verb
to neglectto overlookto ignore

Examples

  • 忽视。
    Bú yào hū shì jiàn kāng.
    Don't neglect your health.
  • 忽视。
    Tā hū shì le lǎo shī de jiàn yì.
    He ignored the teacher's advice.
  • 忽视。
    Wǒ men bù néng hū shì zhè ge xì jié.
    We cannot overlook this detail.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

忽hūcareless
视shìlook

忽 gives the careless sense, and 视 gives looking, together meaning to disregard.

Characters in this word

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù忽hū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

忽 combines 心, meaning heart, and 勿, used for its sound.

Open 忽 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 視; 视 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
示
示shì視shì
Same sound today

The story is about the traditional form 視: it combines 見, meaning see, with 示, which gives the sound shì.

Open 视 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Thinking & Cognition

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