失策 (shī cè) — to misjudge; to make a wrong move (in planning…

Definition

A formal verb for 'misjudging' or 'making a wrong strategic move' — a planning error, not a small slip. Often used to criticize a decision after the fact.

verb

to misjudgeto make a wrong move (in planning or strategy)

Examples

失策。
Zhè cì tóu zī tā wán quán shī cè le.
He completely miscalculated on this investment.
，。
Wǒ shī le yí cì cè, jiù sǔn shī le hěn duō qián.
I made one wrong move and lost a lot of money.
失策，。
Tā men yào shi zài shī cè yí cì, zhěng gè xiàng mù jiù wán le.
If they miscalculate once more, the whole project will be ruined.

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

策cèstrategy

失 (lose) and 策 (strategy) suggest losing the right plan, hence misjudging.

Characters in this word

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

手手shǒu
乙乙yǐ

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.

竹朿策

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

朿

朿cì策cè

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

策 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 朿 as a sound part.

Open 策 →

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