Chinese Conversation · Level 66
90 words
Chinese word
家常便饭
Pronunciation
Pinyinjiā cháng biàn fàn
Meaning
- idiomeveryday occurrence
Example
公司里的小矛盾对他来说是家常便饭。gōng sī lǐ de xiǎo máo dùn duì tā lái shuō shì jiā cháng biàn fàn
Minor conflicts at the company are an everyday occurrence for him.
More examples
他常把邻居之间的小争吵当成家常便饭，不会特别在意。tā cháng bǎ lín jū zhī jiān de xiǎo zhēng chǎo dàng chéng jiā cháng biàn fàn bú huì tè bié zài yì
He often treats minor quarrels between neighbors as an everyday occurrence and does not pay much attention to them.
Core concept
A familiar event arrives like plain household food, leaving no reason for surprise.
Common phrases
把...当成家常便饭bǎ dàng chéng jiā cháng biàn fàn
treat ___ as an everyday occurrence
对...来说是家常便饭duì lái shuō shì jiā cháng biàn fàn
be an everyday occurrence for ___
Similar words
司空见惯sī kōng jiàn guàn: A familiar sight or event that causes no surprise because it is seen so often.
习以为常xí yǐ wéi cháng: A state of treating something as normal after becoming used to it.
屡见不鲜lǚ jiàn bù xiān: A recurring event or sight that has lost its sense of rarity.
不足为奇bù zú wéi qí: Something ordinary that gives no reason for surprise.
Definition in Chinese
用来形容平凡且屡见不鲜的事情，强调习以为常、不足为奇。yòng lái xíng róng píng fán qiě lǚ jiàn bù xiān de shì qíng qiáng diào xí yǐ wéi cháng bù zú wéi qí
Word origin
家常便饭 (jiāchángbiànfàn, "an ordinary home meal") joins the ideas of everyday household fare and an informal meal to frame repeated events as familiar routine.
Usage tips
- English "everyday" often sounds merely normal, but this idiom can suggest that an event has become too familiar to seem noteworthy, especially when discussing problems.