Meaning of 失误
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- lapse
- mistake
- to make a mistake
- fault
- service fault (in volleyball, tennis etc)
How to use 失误
失误 works as a noun or a verb for a lapse in performance, often in sports, exams, or work. It is common in sports commentary for unforced errors and service faults. Example: 他发球失误了。(Tā fāqiú shīwù le.) He made a service fault.
失 (shī) means to lose or slip, and 误 (wù) means error, as in 错误 (cuòwù). A 失误 is a slip that leads to an error, like losing your grip on the ball.
Common mistake: Learners often use 失误 and 错误 (cuòwù) interchangeably. 失误 is a slip in action or performance, while 错误 is a wrong idea, answer, or fact, so say 语法错误 (yǔfǎ cuòwù) for a grammar error, not 语法失误.
失误 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
失 shī · to lose · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
误 wù · mistake · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 失误.
| 失去 | shīqù | to lose |
| 消失 | xiāoshī | to disappear; to fade away |
| 错误 | cuòwù | mistaken; false; wrong; error; mistake |
| 失败 | shībài | to be defeated; to lose |
| 失望 | shīwàng | disappointed; to lose hope |
| 误会 | wùhuì | to misunderstand; to mistake |
| 失业 | shīyè | unemployment; to lose one's job |
| 损失 | sǔnshī | loss; damage |
| 误解 | wùjiě | to misunderstand; misunderstanding |
| 丧失 | sàngshī | to lose; to forfeit |
| 失踪 | shīzōng | to be missing; to disappear |
| 失控 | shīkòng | to go out of control |
Questions about 失误
What does 失误 mean?
失误 (shīwù) means "lapse; mistake" and is used as a verb and noun.
How do you write 失误?
失误 is made of 2 characters: 失 (5 strokes), 误 (9 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 失误 an HSK word?
Yes. 失误 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 失误 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 失误 is written 失誤.
Is 失误 a strong or a mild word?
It is fairly neutral and often softens blame, suggesting an accidental slip rather than a serious wrongdoing. Officials and companies use 工作失误 (gōngzuò shīwù) to describe a mistake at work.
Which verbs and words commonly go with 失误?
You often hear 出现失误 (chūxiàn shīwù) to have a mistake occur, 减少失误 (jiǎnshǎo shīwù) to reduce mistakes, and 重大失误 (zhòngdà shīwù) a major blunder. As a verb, it often appears with 了, as in 他失误了 (tā shīwù le).