糙 (cāo) - rough & coarse

糙Tone 1

cāo ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

糙 · cāo

rough;

coarse;

crude;

unrefined;

not smooth;

referring to texture, quality, or behavior.

roughcoarsecrude

Usage highlights

roughbrown ricecoarse grainrough skincrude languagerough workmanship

Synonyms

  • 粗— thick; coarse; rough
  • 毛— raw; rough; unfinished

Antonyms

  • 细— fine; delicate; meticulous
  • 精— refined; polished; exquisite
  • 滑— smooth; slippery

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The surface feels rough (粗糙).
  • This is brown rice (糙米).
  • His language was crude (粗话).
  • The draft is still rough (草稿).

Collocations

  • rough(粗糙)
  • brown rice(糙米)
  • coarse grain(糙粮)
  • rough skin(糙皮)
  • crude language(糙话)
  • rough workmanship(做工粗糙)

Idioms

  • Coarse tea and plain rice(粗茶淡饭)
  • Rough and crude(粗制滥造)
  • Coarse words and vulgar expressions(粗言秽语)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese medicine and diet, 'brown rice' (糙米) is considered healthier than polished white rice.
  • The character conveys a sense of natural, unprocessed quality, which can be either positive (healthier food) or negative (poor quality).
  • In naming, it's rarely used due to its negative connotations of roughness and lack of refinement.

FAQ