参差不齐 (cēn cī bù qí) — uneven, irregular, not uniform (in quality, level, or extent)

Definition

An idiom describing things that vary widely in level, quality, or size — uneven in a noticeable, often disorderly way. Common for grades, skills, or product quality.

idiom
unevenirregularnot uniform (in quality, level, or extent)

Examples

  • 参差不齐，。
    Zhè xiē xué shēng de yīng yǔ shuǐ píng cēn cī bù qí, xū yào fēn zǔ jiào xué.
    These students' English levels are uneven and need to be taught in groups.
  • 参差不齐，。
    Xiǎo qū lǐ de lóu fáng gāo dù cēn cī bù qí, kàn qǐ lái bú tài zhěng qí.
    The building heights in the neighborhood are uneven, looking not very orderly.
  • 参差不齐，。
    Zhè pī chǎn pǐn de zhì liàng cēn cī bù qí, xū yào yán gé jiǎn chá.
    The quality of this batch of products is uneven and needs strict inspection.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 參; 参 is its simplified writing.

For simplified 参, the story belongs to traditional 參, which combines 晶 (stars), 光 (light), and 彡 (rays) to show the Three Stars; one reading takes 光 as a kneeling person looking up.

Open 参 →

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 →

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 齊; 齐 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 齊 pictures multiple fruits or thorns neatly arranged; the simplified 齐 is a later shorthand.

Open 齐 →

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