碜 (chěn) - Gritty & coarse

碜Tone 3

chěn ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

晨呈

碜 · chěn

Gritty;

coarse;

unpleasant to the touch or taste;

also used to describe something embarrassing or awkward.

Grittycoarseunpleasant to the touch or taste

Usage highlights

grittycoarse textureembarrassingpoor tastegritty foodawkward situation

Synonyms

  • 粗— coarse, rough
  • 糙— rough, coarse
  • 尴尬— embarrassing, awkward

Antonyms

  • 细— fine, delicate
  • 滑— smooth, slippery
  • 体面— dignified, respectable

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The sand in the rice makes it gritty (牙碜).
  • This joke is in poor taste (碜得慌).
  • The texture of the bread is unpleasantly coarse (碜牙).
  • He felt embarrassed by the awkward situation (寒碜).

Collocations

  • gritty(牙碜)
  • coarse texture(碜得慌)
  • embarrassing(寒碜)
  • poor taste(碜人)
  • gritty food(碜牙)
  • awkward situation(碜事)

Idioms

  • To be embarrassed or feel awkward(寒碜)
  • Gritty and unpleasant to eat(牙碜)
  • Something that causes embarrassment(碜得慌)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in northern Chinese dialects to describe food with sand or grit.
  • Extended meaning refers to social embarrassment or awkwardness, particularly in the term 寒碜.
  • Considered informal and colloquial in usage.

FAQ