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掉以轻心 (diào yǐ qīng xīn) — to let one's guard down, to be careless (often in negative constructions)

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'to let one's guard down, treat something lightly' — almost always used in a warning or negative ("不能/不可/不能掉以轻心"), implying the consequence is serious.

idiom
to let one's guard downto be careless (often in negative constructions)

Examples

  • ，掉以轻心。
    Zhè jiàn shì hěn zhòng yào, wǒ men bù néng diào yǐ qīng xīn.
    This matter is very important; we can't take it lightly.
  • ，掉以轻心。
    Suī rán yǐ jīng zhǔn bèi hěn jiǔ le, dàn bǐ sài shí hái shì 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 zhè ge wèn tí diào yǐ qīng xīn, jié guǒ chū le dà cuò.
    He was careless about this issue, and as a result made a big mistake.

Origin

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
卓
卓zhuó掉diào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

掉 is built from 扌 (a hand) and 卓, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 掉 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape came from a drawing of a person carrying something; in 以, part of that person is still visible on the right.

Open 以 →

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 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSafety & Danger

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