開小差 kāi xiǎo chāi

DEFINITIONS

  1. to be absent-minded
  2. to desert
  3. to abscond from the army
  4. absent without leave (AWOL)

CHARACTERS

開 kāi open; initiate, begin, start
小 xiǎo small, tiny, insignificant
差 chāi to differ; different, wrong; nearly, almost; an officer