====== shūhu: 疏忽 - Negligence, Carelessness, Oversight ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** shuhu, shu hu, shūhu, 疏忽, negligence in Chinese, carelessness in Chinese, oversight in Chinese, Chinese word for neglect, what does shuhu mean, shuhu vs mǎhu, shuhu vs bù xiǎoxīn, HSK 5 vocabulary.
  * **Summary:** Learn the meaning of **疏忽 (shūhu)**, the crucial Chinese word for negligence, carelessness, and oversight. This term goes beyond a simple mistake, often implying a serious lapse in attention or a failure to fulfill a responsibility. Understand its cultural weight in professional and personal contexts, how it differs from similar words like [[马虎 (mǎhu)]], and see 10+ practical examples for work, apologies, and daily life. Master this HSK 5 term to express a failure of duty, not just a simple accident.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** shūhū
  * **Part of Speech:** Noun, Verb
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 5
  * **Concise Definition:** To be negligent; an oversight or instance of carelessness, typically concerning a duty or responsibility.
  * **In a Nutshell:** **疏忽 (shūhu)** describes a mistake that happens because you weren't paying enough attention when you should have been. It's not about lacking ability, but about a lapse in focus or care. Think of it as "an oversight" or "negligence." It carries a more serious tone than just "making a mistake," as it implies that a certain standard of care or responsibility was not met.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **疏 (shū):** This character's original meaning was to dredge a river, clearing out blockages. This idea of "clearing out" or "creating distance" extended to mean sparse, distant, or to neglect. Here, it signifies a lack of closeness or attention to a matter.
  * **忽 (hū):** This character is composed of 勿 (wù - "do not") and 心 (xīn - "heart/mind"). The combination vividly paints a picture of "not using one's mind" or "not keeping something in one's heart," which means to overlook, neglect, or forget.
The two characters together, **疏忽 (shūhu)**, create a powerful and redundant meaning: to be distant from and to overlook something. This emphasizes a significant and blameworthy lapse in attention.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
In Chinese culture, which often emphasizes collective responsibility (责任心, zérènxīn) and fulfilling one's duties, **疏忽 (shūhu)** is a weighty word. It's not just a personal failing but can be seen as letting down one's group, be it family, the team, or the company.
A good Western comparison is the difference between "carelessness" and "negligence." While you can be careless when making a sandwich (a minor issue), "negligence" is a legal and professional term implying a failure of a //duty of care//. **疏忽 (shūhu)** leans much closer to "negligence." Admitting to **疏忽** is a serious apology, acknowledging that you failed in your responsibility. It shows you understand the gravity of the situation, which is a crucial step in rectifying a mistake and restoring trust, or [[面子 (miànzi)]], in a professional or formal setting.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
**疏忽 (shūhu)** is used in both formal and informal contexts, but it always carries a sense of seriousness.
  *   **In the Workplace:** This is one of the most common contexts. It's used to describe errors in reports, mistakes in planning, or accidents caused by a lack of attention. An employee might apologize for their **疏忽**, or a manager might point out a **疏忽** in a project.
  *   **In Formal Apologies:** When you've forgotten an important event or failed to do something you promised, saying "这是我的疏忽" (zhè shì wǒ de shūhu - "This was my oversight/negligence") is a strong and sincere way to take responsibility.
  *   **In Legal and News Contexts:** The term is frequently used in news reports to describe accidents or incidents caused by human error, such as a "medical oversight" (医疗疏忽, yīliáo shūhu) or "negligence by officials" (官员的疏忽, guānyuán de shūhu).
===== Example Sentences =====
  *   **Example 1:**
    *   这个严重的事故是由于一名工人的**疏忽**造成的。
    *   Pinyin: Zhège yánzhòng de shìgù shì yóuyú yī míng gōngrén de **shūhu** zàochéng de.
    *   English: This serious accident was caused by the negligence of a worker.
    *   Analysis: Here, **疏忽** is used as a noun to denote negligence with serious consequences. This is a very common structure for explaining the cause of a negative event.
  *   **Example 2:**
    *   真对不起，是我**疏忽**了，完全忘了我们今天的会议。
    *   Pinyin: Zhēn duìbuqǐ, shì wǒ **shūhu** le, wánquán wàng le wǒmen jīntiān de huìyì.
    *   English: I'm so sorry, it was my oversight. I completely forgot about our meeting today.
    *   Analysis: A classic example of using **疏忽** in a personal, yet formal, apology. It shows you take the mistake seriously. "疏忽了 (shūhu le)" functions as a verb phrase.
  *   **Example 3:**
    *   在签订合同前，我们必须仔细检查，不能**疏忽**任何一个细节。
    *   Pinyin: Zài qiāndìng hétóng qián, wǒmen bìxū zǐxì jiǎnchá, bùnéng **shūhu** rènhé yī ge xìjié.
    *   English: Before signing the contract, we must check it carefully and not overlook a single detail.
    *   Analysis: Here, **疏忽** is used as a verb, meaning "to overlook" or "to be negligent about." It's a command or a statement of necessity.
  *   **Example 4:**
    *   由于我的**疏忽**，给公司带来了巨大的损失。
    *   Pinyin: Yóuyú wǒ de **shūhu**, gěi gōngsī dài lái le jùdà de sǔnshī.
    *   English: Due to my negligence, I brought huge losses to the company.
    *   Analysis: A very formal self-criticism or apology in a business context. Using **疏忽** here clearly accepts blame and responsibility.
  *   **Example 5:**
    *   医生的一个小小**疏忽**就可能危及病人的生命。
    *   Pinyin: Yīshēng de yī ge xiǎo xiǎo **shūhu** jiù kěnéng wēijí bìngrén de shēngmìng.
    *   English: A tiny oversight by a doctor could endanger a patient's life.
    *   Analysis: This highlights the gravity of **疏忽**. Even a "small" (小小) oversight can have catastrophic results, reinforcing the word's serious connotation.
  *   **Example 6:**
    *   谢谢你提醒我，这一点我刚才确实**疏忽**了。
    *   Pinyin: Xièxie nǐ tíxǐng wǒ, zhè yī diǎn wǒ gāngcái quèshí **shūhu** le.
    *   English: Thank you for reminding me, I did indeed overlook that point just now.
    *   Analysis: A more common, everyday use in a work setting. It's a polite way to acknowledge that you missed something someone else caught.
  *   **Example 7:**
    *   项目的失败，管理者负有**疏忽**的责任。
    *   Pinyin: Xiàngmù de shībài, guǎnlǐzhě fù yǒu **shūhu** de zérèn.
    *   English: For the project's failure, the management bears the responsibility of negligence.
    *   Analysis: **疏忽的责任 (shūhu de zérèn)** means "the responsibility of negligence." This is a formal phrase used in reviews or analyses of failure.
  *   **Example 8:**
    *   请原谅我的一时**疏忽**，我不是故意的。
    *   Pinyin: Qǐng yuánliàng wǒ de yīshí **shūhu**, wǒ bùshì gùyì de.
    *   English: Please forgive my momentary oversight, I didn't do it on purpose.
    *   Analysis: "一时疏忽" (yīshí shūhu) means a "momentary" or "temporary" lapse in attention. It helps soften the apology slightly by suggesting it was a one-time event, not a character trait.
  *   **Example 9:**
    *   我们不能因为任务简单就**疏忽**大意。
    *   Pinyin: Wǒmen bùnéng yīnwèi rènwù jiǎndān jiù **shūhu** dàyì.
    *   English: We can't become negligent and careless just because the task is simple.
    *   Analysis: **疏忽大意 (shūhu dàyì)** is a common four-character idiom (chengyu) that means "negligent and careless." It's often used as a warning.
  *   **Example 10:**
    *   他对家庭的**疏忽**导致了夫妻关系的破裂。
    *   Pinyin: Tā duì jiātíng de **shūhu** dǎozhì le fūqī guānxì de pòliè.
    *   English: His neglect of his family led to the breakdown of their marriage.
    *   Analysis: This shows **疏忽** used in a long-term, emotional context. It means "neglect" in the sense of failing to provide care, time, and attention.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
The biggest pitfall for learners is confusing **疏忽 (shūhu)** with [[马虎 (mǎhu)]] and [[不小心 (bù xiǎoxīn)]].
  *   **疏忽 (shūhu) vs. 马虎 (mǎhu):**
    *   **疏忽** is about a specific instance of failing a duty. It is not a personality trait.
    *   **马虎** is a general personality trait meaning "sloppy" or "careless."
    *   **Correct:** 他这个人很**马虎**，所以工作中常常出现**疏忽**。(Tā zhège rén hěn **mǎhu**, suǒyǐ gōngzuò zhōng chángcháng chūxiàn **shūhu**.) - He is a very careless person, so negligence often appears in his work.
    *   **Incorrect:** ~~他这个人很疏忽。~~ (You can't say someone's personality is "shuhu").
  *   **疏忽 (shūhu) vs. 不小心 (bù xiǎoxīn):**
    *   **疏忽** is a mental or procedural lapse; a failure of responsibility.
    *   **不小心** is typically a physical accident or a minor, momentary lapse.
    *   **Correct:** 我**不小心**把水洒了。(Wǒ **bù xiǎoxīn** bǎ shuǐ sǎ le.) - I accidentally spilled the water.
    *   **Incorrect:** ~~我疏忽把水洒了。~~ (Spilling water isn't a failure of a major duty).
    *   **Context is key:** If a lab technician spills water on critical equipment because they weren't following protocol, you could say: 这是他的**疏忽** (This was his negligence). The act was "不小心," but the cause was "疏忽."
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  *   [[马虎]] (mǎhu) - A personality trait of being careless or sloppy. Someone who is mǎhu is prone to shūhu.
  *   [[粗心]] (cūxīn) - "Coarse-hearted"; a synonym for careless or thoughtless, very similar to mǎhu.
  *   [[大意]] (dàyì) - Inattentive or careless. Often appears in the chengyu [[疏忽大意 (shūhu dàyì)]].
  *   [[忽略]] (hūlüè) - To overlook or ignore. A close synonym, but hūlüè can sometimes imply an intentional act of ignoring something, whereas shūhu is almost always unintentional.
  *   [[过失]] (guòshī) - A fault, error, or transgression. This is often the //result// of one's shūhu, and it has stronger legal and formal connotations.
  *   [[失职]] (shízhí) - Dereliction of duty. A very strong, formal term for failing to do one's job. Serious shūhu at work can be classified as shízhí.
  *   [[责任心]] (zérènxīn) - Sense of responsibility. This is the personal quality that prevents shūhu.
  *   [[不小心]] (bù xiǎoxīn) - To be careless, to do something by accident. Describes the accidental action itself, not the underlying failure of responsibility.