生疏 shēngshū unfamiliar
unfamiliar; strange; out of practice; not accustomed
How to remember 生疏: 生 life + 疏 to neglect = unfamiliar.
Characters
How it is used
- Rusty / unfamiliar from lack of practice - 手艺生疏了 (shǒuyì shēngshū le) my skills have gotten rusty.
- Two flavors: out of practice (业务生疏) and unacquainted/estranged (人地生疏, new to a place and its people).
- Opposite of 熟练 (shúliàn, skilled) and 熟悉 (shúxī, familiar); the 生 signals 'raw/unpracticed' - 熟练的工人 (shúliàn de gōngrén) a skilled worker.