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轻率 (qīng shuài) — rash, hasty, indiscreet; neglectful, dismissive, slighting

Definition

Describes acting or deciding rashly, without enough thought. Carries a strong negative judgment — stronger than just 'careless' (粗心) — and often modifies decisions, actions, or remarks about people.

adjective
rashhastyindiscreetneglectfuldismissiveslighting

Examples

  • 轻率。
    Tā zuò shì tài qīng shuài le.
    He is too rash in doing things.
  • 轻率，。
    Tā qīng shuài de duì dài bié rén, hěn bù lǐ mào.
    He treats others dismissively, which is very rude.
  • 轻率。
    Zhè yàng qīng shuài de jué dìng huì ràng nǐ hòu huǐ de.
    Such a hasty decision will make you regret it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

轻qīngcareless
率lǜrash

轻 “careless” and 率 “rash” are parallel, together describing hasty indiscretion.

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.

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.

率 was drawn as a bird-catching net, with a stick above and below. In the form described, the lower horizontal stroke is missing, so the whole shape represents a rope.

Open 率 →
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