粗心

• Pinyin: cū xīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 粗 = 米 (rice) + 且 (phonetic); 心 = pictograph of a heart

Meaning

Careless; inattentive. Describes a tendency to overlook details or make mistakes due to lack of care.

Commonly used to describe people who make avoidable mistakes, especially in schoolwork, exams, or daily tasks. Often used by teachers and parents when correcting children. The opposite is 细心 (meticulous/careful).

Examples

1. 他太粗心了，考试的时候把自己的名字都写错了。 He's so careless — he even wrote his own name wrong during the exam.
2. 因为粗心，她把盐当成了糖放进了汤里。 Because of carelessness, she put salt into the soup instead of sugar.
3. 做数学题不能粗心，一个小数点错了答案就全错了。 You can't be careless when doing maths problems — one wrong decimal point and the whole answer is wrong.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, school, work

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 你太粗心了，下次要仔细检查。(You're too careless — check carefully next time.)
• 粗心是可以改掉的坏习惯。(Carelessness is a bad habit that can be corrected.)

Don't Say

• 用粗心来形容故意犯的错 (Don't use 粗心 for intentional mistakes — it implies accidental oversight; use 故意 for deliberate errors)

Origin & History

粗 (coarse/rough) + 心 (heart/mind) — a 'coarse heart' metaphorically means a mind that is not attentive to fine details.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal