TongTong
Sign in

不相上下 (bù xiāng shàng xià) — about the same, equally matched (in skill, strength, quality, etc.)

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'about equal, evenly matched,' used for comparing two sides in ability, strength, or quality. Stronger and more formal than 差不多, and applies only to a head-to-head match rather than a general 'almost.'

phrase
about the sameequally matched (in skill, strength, quality, etc.)

Examples

  • 不相上下，。
    Zhè liǎng jiā gōng sī guī mó bù xiāng shàng xià, hěn nán shuō nǎ ge gèng dà.
    These two companies are about the same size — it's hard to say which is bigger.
  • 不相上下，。
    Tā zài shù xué hé wù lǐ fāng miàn de tiān fù bù xiāng shàng xià, dōu shì dǐng jiān shuǐ píng.
    His talent in math and physics is about equal — both are top-notch.
  • 不相上下，。
    Liǎng wèi xuǎn shǒu shí lì bù xiāng shàng xià, shèng fù nán fēn.
    The two players are evenly matched, making the outcome hard to predict.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Comparison & DegreeIdioms & Set Phrases

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