紕 (pī) - To be careless, negligent & to err, make a mistake

紕Tone 1

pī ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

紕 · pī

To be careless, negligent;

to err, make a mistake;

defective, flawed;

(in textiles) to have a defect or imperfection.

To be careless, negligentto err, make a mistakedefective, flawed

Usage highlights

careless mistakeslip of the tongueweaving flawtextile defecterror and omissioncareless and erroneous

Synonyms

  • 誤— error, mistake
  • 錯— wrong, incorrect
  • 漏— omission, leak

Antonyms

  • 精— precise, refined
  • 準— accurate, exact
  • 正— correct, proper

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The report had a careless error (紕漏).
  • This fabric has a weaving flaw (布有紕).
  • He made a slip of the tongue (口出紕言).
  • There was a negligence in the work (工作有紕).

Collocations

  • careless mistake(紕漏)
  • slip of the tongue(紕言)
  • weaving flaw(紕布)
  • textile defect(紕帛)
  • error and omission(紕繆)
  • careless and erroneous(紕誤)

Idioms

  • Full of mistakes and omissions(紕繆百出)
  • To patch up flaws and stop leaks(補紕塞漏)
  • Careless words and reckless actions(紕言贅行)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to defects in silk or textiles, later extended metaphorically to errors and negligence.
  • In classical texts, often used to criticize careless work or speech that deviates from proper standards.
  • The character reflects the high value placed on precision and quality in traditional Chinese craftsmanship.

FAQ