📖 Meaning
To treat something as if it were a mere child's game, showing extreme disregard and lack of seriousness. It conveys a dismissive attitude toward matters that actually warrant careful attention. This idiom is interchangeable with 视同儿戏.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant of the more common expression 视同儿戏, which dates back to classical Chinese literature. The phrase draws on the image of children's games—frivolous, inconsequential play—to criticize those who handle serious responsibilities with reckless carelessness. Historically, it was used by officials and scholars to rebuke colleagues who neglected governance or military strategy as trivial amusements. No single definitive textual source is attributed to this specific variant.
💡 Example Usage
他把公司的安全制度视若儿戏，结果酿成了重大事故。
He treated the company's safety regulations as if they were child's play, which ultimately led to a major accident.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 视若儿戏
- Pinyin: shì ruò ér xì
- Literal Translation: regard, as if, child's, play
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4