Definition
不过如此 is a fixed four-character phrase meaning 'just so-so' or 'nothing special.' It's used to dismiss something that was hyped or expected to be better — a polite way of saying you're not impressed. The structure is 不过 ('only, merely') + 如此 ('like this'), so the literal meaning is 'only like this,' but the pragmatic force is often downplaying or modestly evaluating.
f.e.
nothing more than thisjust so-sonothing special
Examples
- ，不过如此。Dàjiā dōu shuō zhè bù diànyǐng hǎokàn, wǒ kàn wán juéde bú.Everyone says this movie is good, but after watching it I feel it's just so-so.
- 不过如此，。Tā de chéngjì bú, bú shì tèbié yōuxiù.His grades are nothing special — not particularly outstanding.
- 不过如此，。Nà jiā wǎnghóng diàn de shíwù bú, bù zhídé páiduì.The food at that trendy restaurant is just so-so, not worth the queue.
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