TongTong
Sign in

过失 (guò shī) — fault, mistake; (law) negligence, culpable error

Definition

过失 is a formal/legal noun for 'fault' — it implies personal responsibility and blame, stronger than the everyday 错误. In law it specifically means negligence causing harm.

noun
faultmistake(law) negligenceculpable error

Examples

  • 过失。
    Měi gè rén dōu huì fàn guò shī.
    Everyone makes mistakes.
  • 过失。
    Tā de guò shī dǎo zhì le yán zhòng de jīng jì sǔn shī.
    His negligence caused serious economic losses.
  • 过失。
    Wǒ wèi zì jǐ de guò shī gǎn dào fēi cháng bào qiàn.
    I feel very sorry for my fault.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

过guòfault
失shīmistake

“过” and “失” both mean fault or mistake, so together they denote an error or negligence.

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 過; 过 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi過guò
Same sound today

The traditional form 過 pairs 辵 (walk) with 咼 as a sound component; the simplified 过 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 过 →

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

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract ConceptsLaw & Justice

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.