失误 (shī wù) — (noun) error, mistake, fault; (verb) to make a…

Definition

失误 is an 'error' or 'mistake' typically used in performance, sports, or work contexts — more specific than the general 错误, with no sense of blame unlike 过错.

noun

errormistakefault

verb

to make a mistake

Measure word · 个

Examples

失误。
Yí gè xiǎo de shī wù kě néng dài lái dà wèn tí.
A small mistake can bring big problems.
失误，。
Tā shī wù le, dàn hěn kuài jiù gǎi zhèng le.
He made a mistake, but quickly corrected it.
失误。
Zhè cì shī wù ràng tā xué huì le xì xīn.
This mistake taught him to be careful.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

失shīerror

误wùmistake

'失' and '误' both carry the sense of error, so together they mean a lapse.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 誤; 误 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yánspeech

Sound part声符shēngfú

吳

吳wú誤wù

Same sound today

The traditional form 誤 uses 言 (speech) for meaning and 吳 for sound, giving the idea of speaking an error; the simplified 误 is a later shorthand.

Open 误 →

Appears in