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事故 (shì gù) — accident (unexpected event causing damage or injury)

Definition

事故 refers specifically to an accident causing damage or injury, often industrial, traffic, or workplace. 比 意外 more serious and concrete; 比 变故 more neutral in tone.

noun
accident (unexpected event causing damage or injury)
Measure word · 桩, 起, 次
Easily confused

Examples

  • 事故事故。
    Zuó tiān fā shēng le yí shì gù yán zhòng de jiāo tōng shì gù.
    A serious traffic accident happened yesterday.
  • 事故事故。
    Gōng chǎng lǐ zhè shì gù shì gù zào chéng le sān rén shòu shāng.
    This industrial accident caused three people to be injured.
  • ，事故。
    Kāi chē shí yí dìng yào jí zhōng jīng lì, cái néng bì miǎn shì gù.
    You must stay focused while driving to avoid accidents.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

事shìevent
故gùaccident

事故 joins 事 (event) and 故 (accident) to mean an unexpected harmful event.

Characters in this word

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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
攵Written in full as攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ故gù
Same sound today

故 uses 古 for the sound and 攵, written in full as 攴, for the meaning.

Open 故 →
Appears in
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