TongTong
Sign in

差强人意 (chā qiáng rén yì) — just passable, barely satisfactory

Definition

A formal idiom meaning 'barely satisfactory' or 'passable, but not impressive' — the gap is small but the result still falls short of expectations. Often used to soften a negative assessment.

idiom
just passablebarely satisfactory

Examples

  • 差强人意，。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì de chéng jì zhǐ néng shuō chā qiáng rén yì, hái xū yào jì xù nǔ lì.
    The results of this exam are just passable; I still need to keep working hard.
  • ，差强人意。
    Tā de biǎo xiàn suī bù wán měi, dàn zǒng suàn chā qiáng rén yì ba.
    His performance, though not perfect, is barely acceptable after all.
  • 差强人意，。
    Zhè jiā cān tīng de cài wèi dào chā qiáng rén yì, jià gé què fēi cháng guì.
    The food at this restaurant is just passable, yet the prices are very high.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 來來láiwheat
  • 𠂇𠂇𠂇left hand

差 pairs 來 (wheat) with 𠂇 (left hand), showing wheat rubbed in a hand to remove its hull.

Open 差 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 強; 强 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 強 pairs an insect component with a sound component; this explains 強, not the simplified 强.

Open 强 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 意 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesGood & Bad

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.