粗活 (cū huó) — heavy manual labor, unskilled work (as opposed to skilled or fine work)

Definition

Literally 'rough/coarse work': unskilled labor that is physically demanding, contrasted with skilled 细活 (fine/detailed work). The focus is on the manual, low-skill nature of the job, not just physicality.

noun
heavy manual laborunskilled work (as opposed to skilled or fine work)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 粗活。
    Tā měi tiān zài gōng dì gān cū huó.
    He does heavy manual labor on the construction site every day.
  • 粗活。
    Zhè xiē cū huó duì tǐ lì yāo qiú hěn gāo.
    This unskilled work has very high physical demands.
  • 粗活。
    Hěn duō nián qīng rén bú yuàn yì zuò cū huó.
    Many young people are unwilling to do heavy manual labor.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

粗cūrough
活huówork

粗 'rough' and 活 'work' combine for 'heavy manual labor'.

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 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑活huó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

活 is built from 氵 (water) and 𠯑, which shows the sound; 𠯑 later changed into 舌.

Open 活 →

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