Japanese word

粗い

Pronunciation

Romajiarai

Meaning

  • i-adjectiverough

Example

この紙は粗いです。ko no kami wa ara i de su

This paper is rough.

Illustration for 粗い (rough)

More examples

粗いやすりで、木の表面を削ります。ara i ya su ri de ki no hyō men o kezu ri ma su

I smooth the surface of the wood with coarse sandpaper.

Core concept

Describes something with a noticeably uneven or large-grained texture rather than a fine, smooth one.

Common phrases

  • 粗い紙ara i kami

    rough paper

  • 目が粗いme ga ara i

    loosely woven

  • きめが粗いki me ga ara i

    coarse-textured

Definition in Japanese

粒や目が大きく、手触りがなめらかでないさま。tsubu ya me ga ō ki ku te zawa ri ga na me ra ka de na i sa ma

Word origin

The native adjective 粗い (arai) combines 粗 (ara, "coarse") with the adjective ending い (i).

Usage tips

  • In careful writing, 粗い (arai, "rough") and 荒い (arai, "violent") are distinguished by their kanji even though they sound alike.

Other meanings

  • coarsei-adjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 粗さarasaroughnessnoun

Word lists with this word