Chinese word

差

Pronunciation

Pinyinchà

Meaning

  • adjectivebad

Example

这道菜很差。zhè dào cài hěn chà

This dish is very bad.

Illustration for 差 (bad)

More examples

我的汉语很差。wǒ de hàn yǔ hěn chà

My Chinese is very bad.

Core concept

A noticeable shortfall from the level that a person or thing is expected to reach.

Common phrases

  • 很差hěn chà

    very bad

Similar words

不好bù hǎo: In an unwanted or unsatisfactory state, with no specific reason given for the negative judgment.
坏huài: In poor condition or not working properly, so it cannot perform its usual function.

Definition in Chinese

表示某物或某人不够好、存在明显缺陷或达不到标准，带有主观评价性质，常见搭配有“很差”“差得多”。biǎo shì mǒu wù huò mǒu rén bú gòu hǎo cún zài míng xiǎn quē xiàn huò dá bú dào biāo zhǔn dài yǒu zhǔ guān píng jià xìng zhì cháng jiàn dā pèi yǒu hěn chà chà de duō

Word origin

差 (chà, "bad") is linked to an older sense of difference or separation, which developed into the idea of falling short and then into a negative quality judgment.

Usage tips

  • The word gives the judgment but not the reason, so a separate description is needed to show whether the problem concerns taste, accuracy, speed, or another quality.

Other meanings

  • differencenoun
  • be short ofverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word