冒失鬼

màoshiguǐ
noun #32,087

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 a reckless person
  2. 2 a hothead
  3. 3 klutz
  4. 4 someone who acts without thinking

Examples

HSK 5
Nǐ zhège màoshiguǐ, chàdiǎn bǎ bēizi dǎfān le!
You klutz, you almost knocked the cup over!
HSK 7-9
Tā shì gè màoshiguǐ, zuòshì cóngbù sānsī.
He's a hothead - he never thinks twice before acting.

Tips

usage
Colloquial and affectionate-to-mildly-scolding, not really an insult. The - suffix here is a productive familiar tag for 'a kind of person who...': compare 小气鬼 (stingy person), 胆小鬼 (coward), 醉鬼 (drunkard), 馋鬼 (glutton). here is neutral tone.
memory
冒失 (màoshī) by itself = 'rash, abrupt'. Add (literally 'ghost', here just 'guy/type') and you get 'the rash type' - a klutz.

Stroke Order

mào
shī
guǐ