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草率 (cǎo shuài) — careless, sloppy, rash (in doing things)

Definition

Describes rash decisions or actions done without enough thought. Stronger and more judgment-laden than 粗心 (small oversights) or 马虎 (casual sloppiness); 草率 implies the action itself was irresponsible.

adjective
carelesssloppyrash (in doing things)

Examples

  • 草率。
    Tā zuò le yí gè cǎo shuài de jué dìng.
    He made a rash decision.
  • 草率。
    Bú yào cǎo shuài de huí dá.
    Don't answer carelessly.
  • 草率。
    Zhè fèn bào gào tài cǎo shuài le.
    This report is too sloppy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

草cǎorough/careless
率lǜrash

‘草’ suggests roughness and ‘率’ suggests rashness; together they describe careless action.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
早
早zǎo草cǎo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

草 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 早, which gives the sound. The form originally referred to another word and was later used for the grass sense.

Open 草 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

率 was drawn as a bird-catching net, with a stick above and below. In the form described, the lower horizontal stroke is missing, so the whole shape represents a rope.

Open 率 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Good & Bad

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