粗 meaning in English

粗 describes physical thickness, like a thick rope or arm, and also rough manners or careless work. It often appears in compounds such as 粗心 (cūxīn, careless) and 粗鲁 (cūlǔ, rude). Example: 他的胳膊很粗。(Tā de gēbo hěn cū.) His arms are very thick.

粗 has 米 (mǐ, rice) on the left and 且 (qiě) on the right. Picture rice that has not been finely milled, so the grains stay big and coarse, and from there the idea spreads to anything thick, rough, or crude.

Common mistake: Learners often use 厚 (hòu) and 粗 interchangeably, but 厚 is for flat things like books or coats, while 粗 is for long things like ropes, trees, or fingers. Also do not confuse 粗心 (careless) with 细心 (xìxīn, careful), which is its opposite.