粗心
careless; sloppy
cūxīn
What does 粗心 mean?
粗心 (cūxīn) is an adjective meaning 'careless,' 'inattentive to detail,' or 'sloppy.' It literally reads 'coarse heart/mind' (粗 = coarse/rough, 心 = heart/mind), picturing a mind too rough to notice small things. It describes a person who makes avoidable mistakes by not paying attention — misreading a question, forgetting a step, overlooking a detail.
It is neutral in register and common in school, work, and daily contexts, often as a gentle criticism: 你太粗心了 ('you're too careless'). Unlike English 'careless,' which can imply not caring, 粗心 is specifically about lack of attention to detail, not lack of concern — a 粗心 person may care a lot but still overlook things. The common phrase 粗心大意 intensifies it, and 粗心 usually pairs with mistakes rather than danger.
Character breakdown
coarse; rough; thick
heart; mind; attention
Memory hook: A 'coarse' (粗) 'mind' (心) is too rough to catch small details — careless.
Example sentences
他很粗心，经常忘带钥匙。
Tā hěn cūxīn, jīngcháng wàng dài yàoshi.
He's careless and often forgets his keys.
spoken
考试的时候别太粗心。
Kǎoshì de shíhou bié tài cūxīn.
Don't be too careless during the exam.
neutral
这个错误是因为粗心造成的。
Zhège cuòwù shì yīnwèi cūxīn zàochéng de.
This mistake was caused by carelessness.
written
你怎么这么粗心，又写错了名字。
Nǐ zěnme zhème cūxīn, yòu xiěcuò le míngzi.
How are you so careless — you wrote the name wrong again.
spoken
Common phrases with 粗心
Synonyms
马虎 also means careless/sloppy and is more colloquial, often describing doing a job hastily and half-heartedly. 粗心 focuses on failing to notice details. 马虎 leans toward not bothering to be thorough.
大意 (dàyi) means to be off-guard or negligent, letting your attention slip at a key moment. 粗心 is a general trait of inattentiveness; 大意 is a momentary lapse.
Don't confuse 粗心 with
FAQ
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