粗俗 (cū sú) — vulgar, crude, coarse | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A negative adjective describing speech or behavior that is vulgar, coarse, and lacking refinement. Stronger and broader than 低级, which focuses on low quality; 粗俗 emphasizes a crude, unsophisticated tone in words and conduct.

adjective

vulgarcrudecoarse

Examples

粗俗。
Zhè zhǒng cū sú de wán xiào bú shì hé zài zhèng shì chǎng hé kāi.
This kind of vulgar joke is not appropriate to make in formal settings.
粗俗，。
Tā de yán xíng fēi cháng cū sú, ràng rén hěn bù shū fu.
His words and actions are very crude, making people very uncomfortable.
粗俗。
Zhè bù diàn yǐng yīn wèi cū sú de yǔ yán bèi jìn zhǐ shàng yìng.
This film was banned from screening because of its coarse language.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

粗cūcoarse

俗súvulgar

"粗" means coarse and "俗" means vulgar, together describing crude behavior.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

米且粗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

米米mǐrice

Sound part声符shēngfú

且

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

粗 pairs 米 (rice), which points to its meaning, with 且, which gives a clue to its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻谷俗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

谷

谷gǔ俗sú

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

俗 is built from 亻, a person, and 谷, which gives the sound; it refers to customs of people.

Appears in

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