Chinese word

恰如其分

Pronunciation

Pinyinqià rú qí fèn

Meaning

  • adjectiveappropriate

Example

他的建议恰如其分，正好解决了问题。tā de jiàn yì qià rú qí fèn zhèng hǎo jiě jué le wèn tí

His suggestion was appropriate and solved the problem perfectly.

Illustration for 恰如其分 (appropriate)

More examples

老师对学生的表扬要恰如其分，既不过分也不吝啬。lǎo shī duì xué shēng de biǎo yáng yào qià rú qí fèn jì bú guò fēn yě bú lìn sè

A teacher's praise for students should be appropriate, neither excessive nor stingy.

Core concept

Something fits the circumstances so closely that it feels neither excessive nor insufficient.

Common phrases

  • 恰如其分的评价qià rú qí fèn de píng jià

    an appropriate evaluation

  • 表现得恰如其分biǎo xiàn de qià rú qí fèn

    behave appropriately

  • 恰如其分的建议qià rú qí fèn de jiàn yì

    an appropriate suggestion

Similar words

合适hé shì: Right for the intended use, purpose, or situation.
恰当qià dàng: Appropriate in the way something is said, done, or handled.
适当shì dàng: Moderate and well balanced in amount, degree, or strength.
得体dé tǐ: Socially proper and natural in behavior, attitude, or manner.

Definition in Chinese

合乎分寸、恰到好处地处理事情或表达意见，既不过分也不欠缺。hé hū fēn cùn qià dào hǎo chù dì chú lǐ shì qíng huò biǎo dá yì jiàn jì bú guò fēn yě bú qiàn quē

Word origin

恰 (qià, "exactly") + 如 (rú, "as") + 其 (qí, "its") + 分 (fèn, "proper measure") forms an idiom for conduct or expression that matches its proper measure.

Usage tips

  • For native English speakers, this word can be confused with correct: it evaluates whether a comment, response, or decision suits the social situation, so a fact can be correct while its wording is not.

Other meanings

  • reasonableadjective
  • moderateadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 恰如其分地qià rú qí fèn dìappropriatelyadverb

Word lists with this word