粗野 (cū yě) — rough, boorish, uncouth | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

adjective

roughboorishuncouth

Examples

粗野。
Tā de xíng wéi hěn cū yě.
His behavior is very rough.
粗野。
Zhè zhǒng cū yě de shuō huà fāng shì ràng rén bù shū fu.
This kind of rough way of speaking makes people uncomfortable.
粗野，。
Tā kàn qǐ lái cū yě, dàn qí shí hěn shàn liáng.
He looks rough, but is actually very kind.

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

粗, coarse, and 野, wild, combine to describe rough, uncouth 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

田田tiánfield

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

予

予yǔ野yě

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

野 combines 田 (field) above 土 (earth) to show open country, with 予 giving the sound.

Appears in

Personality & Traits

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