过失
guò shī · HSK 7
error
⚠️ 过 (overstep/fault) + 失 (to lose, slip up) = a slip-up, a fault
过 carries the sense of going too far or erring, and 失 means to lose or let slip. Together they name an error of carelessness — in law, negligence. Contrast with deliberate wrongdoing: a 过失 is the fault of someone who slipped, not who schemed.
过 — 辶 walk radical + 呙 (phonetic)
过 combines the walking radical 辶, suggesting motion or passage, with 呙 serving as the phonetic component. Originally it depicted crossing or passing by on foot, which extended to meanings like 'to pass,' 'to cross over,' and later 'past' or 'excessive.' The simplified form replaces the traditional 過.