====== cūxīn dàyì: 粗心大意 - Careless, Negligent, Scatterbrained ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  *   **Keywords:** cuxin dayi, cūxīn dàyì, 粗心大意, careless Chinese, negligent in Chinese, scatterbrained, inattentive, Chinese idiom for mistakes, how to say careless in Chinese.
  *   **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese idiom **粗心大意 (cūxīn dàyì)**, meaning "careless," "negligent," or "scatterbrained." This page breaks down the characters, explores the cultural importance of being meticulous, and provides ten practical example sentences. Understand the difference between being **粗心大意 (cūxīn dàyì)** and accidentally making a mistake (**不小心**, bù xiǎoxīn), and see how this common term is used by parents, teachers, and bosses across China to describe a lack of attention to detail.
===== Core Meaning =====
  *   **Pinyin (with tone marks):** cūxīn dàyì
  *   **Part of Speech:** Idiom (Chengyu), Adjective/Adverb
  *   **HSK Level:** HSK 5
  *   **Concise Definition:** To be careless, negligent, and inattentive, especially in a way that leads to mistakes.
  *   **In a Nutshell:** **粗心大意 (cūxīn dàyì)** describes a state of mind where a person isn't paying attention to details. It’s not about a single accident, but rather a general lack of focus or meticulousness that causes errors. Think of someone who frequently misplaces their keys, makes typos in important documents, or forgets a crucial step in a recipe. It implies that the mistake could have been avoided with more concentration and care.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  *   **粗 (cū):** Rough, coarse, crude. Imagine a piece of wood that hasn't been sanded down—it's not fine or detailed.
  *   **心 (xīn):** Heart or mind. In Chinese, the heart is considered the seat of thought and emotion.
  *   **大 (dà):** Big, large, great.
  *   **意 (yì):** Meaning, idea, or attention.
These characters combine to paint a vivid picture. **粗心 (cūxīn)** means having a "rough mind"—one that isn't fine-tuned to catch details. **大意 (dàyì)** literally means "big attention," which implies that one's focus is too broad and spread out, not concentrated on the small, important things. Together, **粗心大意 (cūxīn dàyì)** describes someone whose mind is too "rough" and whose attention is too "big" to handle tasks with the necessary precision.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
In Chinese culture, particularly in education and the workplace, there is a tremendous emphasis on being **认真 (rènzhēn)** - conscientious and meticulous. Doing a task with care and precision is a highly respected quality. **粗心大意** is the direct and unwelcome opposite of this ideal.
  *   **Comparison to Western Culture:** While English has terms like "scatterbrained," "absent-minded," or "careless," **粗心大意** often carries a stronger note of criticism. In the West, being "scatterbrained" might be seen as a quirky, sometimes endearing personality trait (e.g., the "absent-minded professor"). In China, being **粗心大意** is almost always viewed as a flaw that needs to be corrected. It's not an excuse for a mistake but the very reason for it, implying a lack of responsibility or effort.
Parents and teachers constantly use this phrase to scold children for making preventable errors on homework or exams. A student who knows the material but loses points for simple calculation errors will invariably be told they are too **粗心大意**.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
This idiom is extremely common in everyday life.
  *   **Self-Criticism:** People often use it in a self-deprecating way after making a silly mistake. Saying "我太粗心大意了 (Wǒ tài cūxīn dàyì le)" is a common way to own up to an error caused by inattention.
  *   **Criticizing Others:** It is frequently used to describe others, but this is a direct criticism. A boss might tell an employee, "你做事不能这么粗心大意 (Nǐ zuòshì bùnéng zhème cūxīn dàyì)," meaning "You can't be so careless in your work."
  *   **Connotation and Formality:** The term is consistently negative. It is used in both informal conversations among friends and family and in formal settings like performance reviews.
===== Example Sentences =====
  *   **Example 1:**
    *   这次考试我又因为**粗心大意**丢了好几分。
    *   Pinyin: Zhè cì kǎoshì wǒ yòu yīnwèi **cūxīn dàyì** diūle hǎojǐ fēn.
    *   English: I lost several points on this exam again due to carelessness.
    *   Analysis: A classic example of a student lamenting mistakes made not from a lack of knowledge, but from a lack of attention.
  *   **Example 2:**
    *   他是个**粗心大意**的人，总是丢三落四的。
    *   Pinyin: Tā shì ge **cūxīn dàyì** de rén, zǒngshì diūsānlàsì de.
    *   English: He is a careless person, always forgetting things.
    *   Analysis: Here, **粗心大意** is used as an adjective to describe a person's general character trait. It's linked directly to the related idiom [[丢三落四 (diūsān làsì)]].
  *   **Example 3:**
    *   做财务工作，绝对不能**粗心大意**。
    *   Pinyin: Zuò cáiwù gōngzuò, juéduì bùnéng **cūxīn dàyì**.
    *   English: When doing finance work, you absolutely cannot be negligent.
    *   Analysis: This sentence highlights the importance of meticulousness in a professional context. The consequence of being **粗心大意** in finance could be severe.
  *   **Example 4:**
    *   对不起，是我**粗心大意**，把你的名字写错了。
    *   Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, shì wǒ **cūxīn dàyì**, bǎ nǐ de míngzi xiě cuò le.
    *   English: I'm sorry, it was my carelessness that I wrote your name incorrectly.
    *   Analysis: A common way to apologize for a mistake caused by inattention, taking responsibility for the error.
  *   **Example 5:**
    *   医生**粗心大意**地开错了药，后果不堪设想。
    *   Pinyin: Yīshēng **cūxīn dàyì** de kāi cuò le yào, hòuguǒ bùkānshèxiǎng.
    *   English: The doctor carelessly prescribed the wrong medicine; the consequences would be unimaginable.
    *   Analysis: This shows how **粗心大意** can be used as an adverb (地 de follows it) to describe how an action was performed. It also demonstrates the serious potential outcomes.
  *   **Example 6:**
    *   妈妈总是提醒我出门前要检查东西，不要**粗心大意**。
    *   Pinyin: Māma zǒngshì tíxǐng wǒ chūmén qián yào jiǎnchá dōngxi, búyào **cūxīn dàyì**.
    *   English: Mom always reminds me to check my things before going out and not to be scatterbrained.
    *   Analysis: This reflects its common use in a family setting, as a piece of advice or a gentle warning from a parent to a child.
  *   **Example 7:**
    *   这个项目的失败，主要是由于项目经理的**粗心大意**。
    *   Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù de shībài, zhǔyào shì yóuyú xiàngmù jīnglǐ de **cūxīn dàyì**.
    *   English: The failure of this project was mainly due to the project manager's negligence.
    *   Analysis: A formal use of the term in a business post-mortem or report. It assigns blame clearly.
  *   **Example 8:**
    *   我**粗心大意**地把盐当成糖放进了咖啡里。
    *   Pinyin: Wǒ **cūxīn dàyì** de bǎ yán dàngchéng táng fàng jìnle kāfēi lǐ.
    *   English: I carelessly mistook salt for sugar and put it in the coffee.
    *   Analysis: A perfect example of a low-stakes, everyday mistake that is perfectly described by **粗心大意**.
  *   **Example 9:**
    *   如果你不改掉**粗心大意**的毛病，以后会吃大亏的。
    *   Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ bù gǎi diào **cūxīn dàyì** de máobìng, yǐhòu huì chī dàkuī de.
    *   English: If you don't fix your bad habit of being careless, you will suffer big losses in the future.
    *   Analysis: This sentence frames **粗心大意** as a "毛病 (máobìng)" - a flaw or bad habit that needs to be corrected to avoid future trouble.
  *   **Example 10:**
    *   这份报告里有好几个错别字，你是不是太**粗心大意**了？
    *   Pinyin: Zhè fèn bàogào lǐ yǒu hǎojǐ ge cuòbiézì, nǐ shìbushì tài **cūxīn dàyì** le?
    *   English: There are several typos in this report, were you being too careless?
    *   Analysis: A common rhetorical question used by a superior to point out errors to a subordinate. The tone is critical.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  *   **粗心大意 (cūxīn dàyì) vs. 不小心 (bù xiǎoxīn):** This is the most common point of confusion for learners.
    *   **不小心 (bù xiǎoxīn)** means "accidentally" or "by accident." It refers to a specific, often physical, mishap. It's more of an event. //Example: 我不小心把杯子打碎了 (Wǒ bù xiǎoxīn bǎ bēizi dǎsuìle) - I accidentally broke the cup.//
    *   **粗心大意 (cūxīn dàyì)** describes the //state of mind// or //character trait// that //leads// to mistakes. It's the "why" behind the accident. You might break the cup (**不小心**) //because// you were being careless (**粗心大意**).
  *   **False Friend ("Careless"):** While "careless" is a good translation, be aware that in English, "careless" can also mean not caring about the feelings of others (e.g., a careless remark). **粗心大意** does //not// have this meaning; it is strictly about a lack of attention to detail in tasks.
  *   **Incorrect Usage:** Do not use **粗心大意** for situations that don't involve tasks requiring precision.
    *   //Incorrect:// 我**粗心大意**地爱上了他。 (Wǒ cūxīn dàyì de ài shàngle tā.) - //This is wrong.// Falling in love is an emotional process, not a task where you forgot to check the details.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  *   [[马虎]] (mǎhu) - A very common and slightly more colloquial synonym for **粗心大意**. It means "careless" or "sloppy."
  *   [[丢三落四]] (diūsān làsì) - "To lose three and leave behind four." An idiom describing someone who is very forgetful, a common symptom of being **粗心大意**.
  *   [[草率]] (cǎoshuài) - Hasty, sloppy. This term emphasizes doing something too quickly and without proper thought, whereas **粗心大意** emphasizes a lack of mental focus.
  *   [[认真]] (rènzhēn) - //Antonym.// Conscientious, serious, meticulous. To do things with great care and dedication.
  *   [[仔细]] (zǐxì) - //Antonym.// Careful, attentive to detail. The direct opposite of being **粗心**.
  *   [[不小心]] (bù xiǎoxīn) - Accidental, by chance. Describes the event itself, not the underlying trait.
  *   [[疏忽]] (shūhu) - Negligence, oversight. A more formal term, often used in legal or professional contexts to describe an error of omission.