事故
shì gù HSK 6

English Meaning

Categories

📚 Example Sentences

高速公路上发生了一起严重事故。
Gāosù gōnglù shàng fāshēngle yīqǐ yánzhòng shìgù.
A serious accident occurred on the highway.
工厂因设备事故而停产。
Gōngchǎng yīn shèbèi shìgù ér tíngchǎn.
The factory stopped production due to equipment malfunction.
这次事故造成了三人受伤。
Zhè cì shìgù zàochéngle sān rén shòushāng.
This accident caused injuries to three people.
发生事故了。
Fāshēng shìgù le.
An accident happened.
事故很严重。
Shìgù hěn yánzhòng.
The accident is very serious.

💡 Memory Tip

Break down the characters: 事 (shì) means 'matter' or 'affair,' and 故 (gù) can mean 'reason' or 'old.' Think of it as 'an old matter that went wrong'—an accident often involves past causes leading to an unfortunate event.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in tone and commonly used in both formal and informal settings, including written reports, news, and everyday speech. It frequently appears in contexts like safety discussions, legal documents, or media reports about mishaps.

📖 Grammar Points

事故 is often used as a subject or object in sentences, e.g., '事故发生了' (The accident happened) or '调查事故' (investigate the accident). It can be modified by adjectives like 重大 (major) or 轻微 (minor) to specify severity.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, discussing 事故 often relates to public safety and regulatory concerns, reflecting societal emphasis on prevention and responsibility in areas like transportation and industry. It's a common topic in news and official communications.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 意外 (yìwài), which broadly means 'unexpected incident' and can be positive or negative, 事故 specifically refers to negative accidents with harm or damage. 事件 (shìjiàn) is a more general term for 'event' or 'incident,' which may not imply negativity.

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