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B1 adjective #2,500 가장 일반적인 6분 분량

马虎的

ma hu de
At the A1 level, '马虎' (mǎhu) is a useful word to describe people or actions simply. You can think of it as 'not careful.' You might hear a teacher say 'Don't be mahu!' when you forget to write your name on a paper. It's often used with '很' (hěn - very) to say 'He is very mahu.' At this stage, just remember it means 'careless' and is a bad thing in school or work.
At A2, you start to use '马虎' to describe specific mistakes. You can say '马虎的错误' (careless mistake). You also learn the common phrase '马马虎虎' (mǎmǎhūhū). At this level, you mostly use it to mean 'so-so' when someone asks how you are doing. It's a safe, polite answer. You also begin to see it used with the particle '地' (de) to describe how someone does something, like '马虎地写' (writing carelessly).
At the B1 level, you should distinguish between '马虎' and '粗心' (cūxīn). You use '马虎' to describe a general attitude of not being serious enough about details. You'll encounter it in workplace contexts, such as '做事马虎' (doing things sloppily). You should also be able to use it in the negative, like '一点也不马虎' (not at all careless), to praise someone's precision. This is the level where you understand the 'Horse-Tiger' origin story.
At B2, you use '马虎' in more formal writing and complex sentences. You might use it to discuss social issues, like '马虎的监管' (negligent supervision). You understand the nuance that '马虎' implies a lack of responsibility. You can use it in result complements: '他因为马虎而丢了工作' (He lost his job because of being careless). You also recognize it in idioms like '粗心大意' (careless and negligent).
At C1, you appreciate the stylistic choice between '马虎', '草率' (cǎoshuài), and '敷衍' (fūyǎn). You use '马虎' to critique subtle lapses in logic or execution in professional reports. You understand its use in literature to describe a character's flawed personality. You can use it metaphorically, perhaps describing a '马虎的计划' (a poorly thought-out plan) that lacks depth and rigor.
At the C2 level, you have a native-like grasp of '马虎'. You can use it with irony or sarcasm. You understand how it fits into the broader cultural value of '认真' (earnestness). You can discuss the historical evolution of the term and its variants in different Chinese dialects. You use it precisely in high-level negotiations or academic critiques to point out specific areas where attention to detail was lacking without being overly blunt.
연습하기 예시 노트와 팁

马虎的 30초 만에

  • 马虎的 means 'careless' or 'negligent' in Chinese.
  • It comes from a story about confusing a horse and a tiger.
  • It is commonly used in school, work, and daily life contexts.
  • The reduplicated form '马马虎虎' can also mean 'so-so'.

The term 马虎的 (mǎhu de) is a quintessential Chinese adjective that translates to 'careless,' 'negligent,' or 'sloppy.' At its core, it describes a person who performs tasks without attention to detail, often leading to avoidable mistakes. It is not just about a lack of focus; it implies a certain casualness or lack of rigor in one's attitude toward work or responsibilities.

Literal Meaning
'Horse-Tiger' - derived from a folk tale about a painter who couldn't distinguish between the two.
Grammatical Function
Primarily used as an attributive adjective (before a noun) or a predicative adjective (after a subject).
Emotional Nuance
Generally negative, suggesting a character flaw or a temporary lapse in judgment that results in poor quality.

他是一个马虎的学生，经常在考试中写错日期。

(He is a careless student who often writes the wrong date on exams.)

The etymology of this word is fascinating. Legend has it that a painter in the Song Dynasty was painting a tiger's head when someone asked him to paint a horse. Instead of starting over, he simply painted a horse's body under the tiger's head. When his sons asked what it was, he told one it was a tiger and the other it was a horse. This confusion led to tragic accidents, cementing 'horse-tiger' as a symbol of dangerous negligence.

由于他马虎的态度，这个项目失败了。

(Due to his negligent attitude, the project failed.)

In professional settings, being called 'mahu' is a serious critique. It suggests that one's output cannot be trusted without a second review. It contrasts sharply with '认真' (rènzhēn - serious/earnest), which is the gold standard for work ethic in Chinese culture.

别这么马虎，再检查一遍！

这种马虎的作风必须改变。

做实验不能有一点儿马虎。

Usage Frequency
Extremely high in daily conversation and educational contexts.
Opposite Concept
仔细 (zǐxì - careful) or 严谨 (yánjǐn - rigorous).

Using 马虎的 correctly requires understanding its position in a sentence and its degree of intensity. As an adjective, it follows standard Chinese syntax rules but has specific collocations that make it sound natural.

1. As an Attributive (Before a Noun)

When describing a person or a behavior, place '马虎的' before the noun. This is the most common way to use the word to describe a character trait.

  • 马虎的人 (mǎhu de rén) - A careless person.
  • 马虎的性格 (mǎhu de xìnggé) - A careless personality.
  • 马虎的错误 (mǎhu de cuòwù) - A careless mistake.

2. As a Predicate (Describing the Subject)

You can use '马虎' after the subject, often preceded by an adverb of degree like '很' (hěn - very), '太' (tài - too), or '非常' (fēicháng - extremely). In this case, the '的' is usually omitted.

他做事很马虎。

(He does things very carelessly.)

3. The Reduplicated Form: 马马虎虎

This is a unique feature of Chinese adjectives. Reduplication increases the descriptive flavor. However, '马马虎虎' has two distinct meanings:

Meaning A: Very Careless
Used to emphasize the lack of care. "他马马虎虎地看了一眼" (He glanced at it very carelessly).
Meaning B: So-so / Average
Used as an answer to 'How are you?' or 'How is the food?'. "最近怎么样？" "马马虎虎。" (How have you been? So-so.)

4. Complement of Result

It can follow a verb with '得' to describe how an action was performed. "他写得太马虎了" (He wrote too carelessly).

You will encounter 马虎 in various social spheres, each with its own weight of consequence.

In the Classroom

This is perhaps the most common environment for the word. Teachers use it to reprimand students for 'silly' mistakes in math or writing. Parents use it when reviewing homework.

  • "你怎么又这么马虎？" (Why are you being so careless again?)
  • "考试时千万不能马虎。" (You must not be careless during the exam.)

In the Workplace

Here, the word takes on a more professional tone of warning. It refers to negligence that could cost the company money or reputation.

  • "会计工作一点儿也不能马虎。" (Accounting work cannot be the slightest bit negligent.)
  • "这个报告写得太马虎了，重写！" (This report was written too sloppily; rewrite it!)

In Daily Life and Chores

Used when someone does a half-hearted job at cleaning, cooking, or fixing something.

  • "地扫得太马虎了，角落里还有灰。" (The floor was swept too carelessly; there's still dust in the corners.)

In Medical and Safety Contexts

In these high-stakes environments, '马虎' is used to emphasize the absolute necessity of precision.

"人命关天，医生绝不能马虎。" (Life is at stake; doctors must never be negligent.)

Even intermediate learners often trip up on the nuances of 马虎. Here are the most frequent errors:

1. Confusing '马虎' with '随便' (suíbiàn)

'随便' means 'casual' or 'as one pleases.' While both can imply a lack of strictness, '随便' is often neutral or even positive (relaxed), whereas '马虎' is almost always a criticism of quality.

❌ Incorrect: 我今天穿得很马虎。 (I'm dressed carelessly - implies you look messy/dirty.)
✅ Correct: 我今天穿得很随便。 (I'm dressed casually.)

2. Overusing '的' with Adverbs

When using '马虎' to describe a verb, you must use '地' (de) instead of '的' (de), or use the 'V + 得 + adj' structure.

❌ Incorrect: 他马虎的做作业。
✅ Correct: 他马虎地做作业。 (He does homework carelessly.)
✅ Correct: 他做作业很马虎。 (He is careless in doing homework.)

3. Misunderstanding '马马虎虎' in Context

If someone asks "How is your Chinese?" and you say "马马虎虎," you are being humble (it's so-so). But if you say "My teacher is 马马虎虎," you are insulting your teacher (they are careless).

4. Forgetting the Negative Construction

To say 'not careless,' Chinese speakers often use '一点也不马虎' (not a bit careless) or '毫不马虎' (not at all careless) rather than just '不马虎'.

To truly master 马虎, you must know its 'cousins' and how they differ.

1. 粗心 (cūxīn)
The most direct synonym. '粗心' literally means 'thick heart' (lacking fine detail). While interchangeable with '马虎' in most contexts, '粗心' is more commonly used for mental slips (like 1+1=3), while '马虎' can describe a general sloppy attitude or physical work.
2. 大意 (dàyì)
This means 'negligent' due to overconfidence or underestimating a situation. You are 'careless' because you thought it was easy. "粗心大意" is a common four-character idiom combining both.
3. 草率 (cǎoshuài)
This means 'perfunctory' or 'rash.' It implies doing something too quickly just to get it done, without regard for quality. It is more formal than '马虎'.
4. 敷衍 (fūyǎn)
This is a verb/adjective meaning to 'go through the motions' or 'do something half-heartedly' just to satisfy a requirement. It's more about the lack of effort than just a mistake.

In summary, use 马虎 for general sloppiness, 粗心 for mental errors, 大意 for overconfident neglect, and 草率 for rushed work.

How Formal Is It?

격식체

""

비격식체

""

난이도

알아야 할 문법

수준별 예문

1

他很马虎。

He is very careless.

Subject + 很 + Adjective

2

不要马虎！

Don't be careless!

Imperative sentence

3

他是一个马虎的人。

He is a careless person.

Adjective + 的 + Noun

4

你太马虎了。

You are too careless.

太...了 structure

5

我不马虎。

I am not careless.

Negation with 不

6

作业不能马虎。

Homework cannot be (done) carelessly.

Modal verb '不能'

7

他做事马虎。

He does things carelessly.

Verb + Object + Adjective

8

马虎是不好的。

Being careless is not good.

Gerund-like usage

1

这是一个马虎的错误。

This is a careless mistake.

Attributive adjective

2

我的汉语马马虎虎。

My Chinese is so-so.

Reduplicated form as 'so-so'

3

他马虎地关了门。

He closed the door carelessly.

Adverbial with 地

4

别又马虎了，好吗？

Don't be careless again, okay?

Use of '又' for repetition

5

他总是那么马虎。

He is always that careless.

Adverb '总是'

6

马虎会带来麻烦。

Carelessness will bring trouble.

Subject as a noun

7

医生不能马虎。

Doctors cannot be careless.

Professional context

8

这个孩子真马虎。

This child is really careless.

Exclamatory '真'

1

因为马虎，他写错了地址。

Because of carelessness, he wrote the wrong address.

Cause and effect with 因为

2

他工作一点儿也不马虎。

He is not a bit careless in his work.

一点儿也不 structure

3

这种马虎的态度必须改变。

This negligent attitude must change.

Abstract noun modification

4

他做事马马虎虎，不负责任。

He does things sloppily and is irresponsible.

Reduplication for emphasis

5

由于马虎，他丢了钥匙。

Due to carelessness, he lost his keys.

Formal 'due to' (由于)

6

我们不能对安全问题马虎。

We cannot be negligent about safety issues.

Prepositional phrase '对...'

7

他写得太马虎，我看不清。

He wrote too sloppily; I can't see clearly.

Complement of degree

8

马虎是他的老毛病了。

Carelessness is an old habit of his.

Colloquial '老毛病'

1

他那马虎的性格让他吃了不少苦头。

His careless personality has caused him a lot of trouble.

Resultative phrase '吃苦头'

2

在科学研究中，绝不能有半点马虎。

In scientific research, there must not be the slightest negligence.

Emphasis '半点'

3

他马虎地看了一下合同就签字了。

He glanced at the contract carelessly and signed it.

Sequential actions

4

这种马虎的作风严重影响了效率。

This sloppy style of work has seriously affected efficiency.

Formal '作风' (style/conduct)

5

他虽然聪明，但就是太马虎。

Although he is smart, he is just too careless.

Concession '虽然...但...'

6

别用这种马虎的话来敷衍我。

Don't use such careless words to brush me off.

Use with '敷衍'

7

马虎大意是发生事故的主要原因。

Carelessness and negligence are the main reasons for accidents.

Compound subject

8

他改正了马虎的缺点。

He corrected his flaw of being careless.

Verb-object collocation

1

这种马虎的逻辑在学术论文中是不可接受的。

This sloppy logic is unacceptable in academic papers.

Academic register

2

他对待感情也很马虎，从不认真。

He is also casual/negligent toward relationships, never serious.

Metaphorical application

3

由于监管马虎，工厂发生了泄漏。

Due to negligent supervision, the factory had a leak.

Institutional negligence

4

他那马虎的处事方式让人难以信任。

His careless way of handling things makes it hard to trust him.

Compound noun '处事方式'

5

文字工作中，哪怕是一个标点也不能马虎。

In writing work, not even a single punctuation mark can be neglected.

Emphasis '哪怕...也'

6

他马虎地应付了几句就走了。

He perfunctorily gave a few careless words and left.

Verb '应付' (deal with perfunctorily)

7

这种马虎的设计存在巨大的安全隐患。

This careless design has huge hidden safety risks.

Technical terminology

8

历史不容马虎，每一个细节都需考证。

History does not allow for negligence; every detail needs verification.

Formal '不容' (not allow)

1

他这种马虎的性格，注定了他事业上的平庸。

His careless nature predestined his professional mediocrity.

Philosophical/Literary tone

2

在法律条文面前，任何马虎都可能导致不公。

In the face of legal provisions, any negligence could lead to injustice.

Abstract subject

3

他那马虎的笔触，反而赋予了画作一种随性的美感。

His careless brushstrokes, ironically, gave the painting a sense of casual beauty.

Nuanced/Positive spin

4

这种马虎的政见，反映了其对民生的漠视。

This sloppy political view reflects his indifference to people's livelihoods.

Political critique

5

他马虎地打发了那些慕名而来的访客。

He carelessly dismissed the visitors who came because of his reputation.

Complex social context

6

对于这种马虎的行为，我们绝不能姑息迁就。

We must never tolerate or indulge such negligent behavior.

Idiomatic '姑息迁就'

7

马虎的翻译往往会造成外交上的误解。

Careless translation often causes diplomatic misunderstandings.

Global context

8

他对自己人生的马虎，最终让他追悔莫及。

His negligence toward his own life eventually left him with irremediable regret.

Existential theme

자주 쓰는 조합

马虎的错误
马虎的态度
做事马虎
一点也不马虎
性格马虎
马虎地看
马虎地写
绝对不能马虎
马虎的作风
不再马虎

자주 쓰는 구문

马马虎虎

粗心马虎

马虎大意

别马虎

太马虎了

真马虎

有点儿马虎

从不马虎

马虎不得

马虎了事

자주 혼동되는 단어

马虎的 vs 随便

随便 is 'casual/as you like', 马虎 is 'careless/sloppy'.

马虎的 vs 粗心

粗心 is usually for mental slips, 马虎 is for general attitude.

马虎的 vs 糊涂

糊涂 means 'confused/muddled', 马虎 means 'not paying attention'.

관용어 및 표현

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

혼동하기 쉬운

马虎的 vs

马虎的 vs

马虎的 vs

马虎的 vs

马虎的 vs

문장 패턴

사용법

nuance

马虎 is more about the 'attitude' of being sloppy.

versatility

It can be an adjective, an adverb, or even a noun in some structures.

social impact

Calling someone 'mahu' can be a mild tease or a harsh rebuke depending on the context.

자주 하는 실수
  • Using '马虎' to mean 'so-so' in a negative way about others (it can be rude).
  • Confusing '马虎' (careless) with '糊涂' (confused).
  • Using '的' instead of '地' before a verb.
  • Using '马虎' to describe a messy physical space (use '乱' instead).
  • Forgetting that '马马虎虎' can have two different meanings.

팁

The Horse-Tiger

Imagine a painter who is so lazy he draws a tiger head on a horse. That's 'mahu'!

Exam Tip

If you lose points for a small error, tell your teacher '我太马虎了'.

Modesty

If someone says your Chinese is great, say '马马虎虎' to be humble.

The 'De' Rule

Use '的' for people (马虎的人) and '地' for actions (马虎地做).

Don't Confuse

Don't use '马虎' to mean 'casual' like 'casual clothes'.

Synonym

Learn '粗心' alongside '马虎' as they are almost always interchangeable.

Workplace

Avoid being described as '马虎' at work; it means you are unreliable.

Natural Sound

Drop the 'de' when saying '他很马虎' to sound more like a native.

Context Clues

If you hear 'mahu' in a medical context, it's a very serious warning.

Character Practice

Notice both '马' and '虎' are common animals; this makes the word easy to write.

암기하기

어원

Song Dynasty folk tale of a painter.

문화적 맥락

Using '马马虎虎' to describe one's own skills is a sign of modesty.

Parents often scold children for being 'mahu' to encourage a better work ethic.

Precision is equated with professionalism in modern Chinese industry.

실생활에서 연습하기

실제 사용 상황

대화 시작하기

"你觉得你是一个马虎的人吗？"

"你考试的时候经常马虎吗？"

"如果你发现同事做事很马虎，你会怎么办？"

"你汉语说得怎么样？(Answer: 马马虎虎)"

"什么样的工作绝对不能马虎？"

일기 주제

写一次因为马虎而犯的错误。

如何才能变得不马虎？

描述一个你认识的非常马虎的人。

为什么在工作中马虎是很危险的？

谈谈你对'马马虎虎'这个词的理解。

자주 묻는 질문

10 질문

Yes, when describing work or character, it is negative. However, '马马虎虎' as 'so-so' is neutral.

Usually, we use '乱' (luàn) for a messy room, but you can say someone is '马虎' because they didn't clean it well.

They are very similar. 粗心 is more common for 'silly mistakes' in school, while 马虎 is broader.

It is semi-formal. In very formal documents, '疏忽' or '过失' might be used.

我犯了一个马虎的错误 (Wǒ fànle yīgè mǎhu de cuòwù).

Not really. It describes their behavior or attitude. For appearance, use '邋遢' (lātà - sloppy/unkempt).

It comes from a story about a painter who was too lazy to distinguish between the two animals.

Yes, it's one of the most famous idioms in Chinese for beginners and natives alike.

Yes, it means 'I am not careless'.

Put it before a verb: 他马虎地写完了作业。

셀프 테스트 79 질문

/ 79 correct

Perfect score!

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