shūhu: 疏忽 - Negligence, Carelessness, Oversight

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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 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.

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.”

• 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.