Definition
掉以轻心 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to let one's guard down' or 'to treat something carelessly'. The literal image is 'handle with a light heart', but the actual sense is that you are not giving something the serious attention it deserves. It is most often used in the negative: 不能掉以轻心 ('can't be careless about it') or 不要掉以轻心 ('don't take it lightly').
f.e.
to let one's guard downto be careless (often in negative constructions)
Examples
- ，掉以轻心。Zhè jiàn shì hěn zhòngyào, wǒmen bù néng diào yǐ qīng xīn.This matter is very important; we can't take it lightly.
- ，掉以轻心。Suīrán yǐjīng zhǔnbèi hěn jiǔ le, dàn bǐsài shí háishì bù néng diào yǐ qīng xīn.Although we've been preparing for a long time, we still can't let our guard down during the competition.
- 掉以轻心，。Tā duì zhège wèntí diào yǐ qīng xīn, jiéguǒ chū le dà cuò.He was careless about this issue, and as a result made a big mistake.
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