粗陋 (cū lòu) — coarse and crude; rough and unsophisticated

Definition

Describes things (clothing, shelter, writing) that are rough, plain, and unrefined. Stronger than 简陋, which only means simple and bare without the negative judgment of crudeness.

adjective
coarse and cruderough and unsophisticated

Examples

  • 粗陋，。
    Tā chuān zhuó cū lòu de yī fu, dàn yǎn shén hěn yǒu shén cǎi.
    He wore coarse and crude clothes, but his eyes were full of spirit.
  • 粗陋，。
    Zhè zuò xiǎo wū suī rán cū lòu, què hěn wēn nuǎn.
    This little hut, though crude, is very warm.
  • 粗陋，。
    Zhè piān xiǎo shuō wén bǐ cū lòu, hái xū yào xiū gǎi.
    The writing of this novel is rough and needs revision.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

粗cūcoarse
陋lòucrude

粗 and 陋 combine to describe something rough, crude, and unsophisticated.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě粗cū
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.

Open 粗 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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