差強人意

See also: 差强人意

Chinese

		differ from; short of; to lack differ from; short of; to lack; poor; send; a messenger; a mission; to commission; uneven; difference; discrepancy; to differ; error; to err; to make a mistake	strength; force; power strength; force; power; powerful; better	man; person; people	idea; meaning; wish idea; meaning; wish; desire; Italy (abbrev.)
trad. (差強人意)		差	強	人	意
simp. (差强人意)		差	强	人	意
alternative forms		差彊人意

Etymology

帝時遣人觀大司馬何為，還言方修戰攻之具，乃嘆曰：「吳公差彊人意，隱若一敵國矣。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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帝时遣人观大司马何为，还言方修战攻之具，乃叹曰：「吴公差强人意，隐若一敌国矣。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5^th century CE

Dì shí qiǎn rén guān dàsīmǎ hé wèi, hái yán fāng xiū zhàngōng zhī jù, nǎi tàn yuē: “Wúgōng chāqiángrényì, yǐn ruò yī dí guó yǐ.” [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Sense #2 is a recent re-interpretation of the 差 in this idiom as “below standard”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chāqiángrényì, chàqiángrényì

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄚ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˋ, ㄔㄚˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): caa¹ koeng⁴ jan⁴ ji³, caa¹ koeng⁵ jan⁴ ji³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chāqiángrényì
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄚ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chaciángrényì
    • Wade–Giles: chʻa¹-chʻiang²-jên²-i⁴
    • Yale: chā-chyáng-rén-yì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chachyangrenyih
    • Palladius: чацянжэньи (čacjanžɛnʹi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ i⁵¹/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, alternative reading for sense #2)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chàqiángrényì
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄚˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chàciángrényì
    • Wade–Giles: chʻa⁴-chʻiang²-jên²-i⁴
    • Yale: chà-chyáng-rén-yì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chahchyangrenyih
    • Palladius: чацянжэньи (čacjanžɛnʹi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ i⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: caa¹ koeng⁴ jan⁴ ji³, caa¹ koeng⁵ jan⁴ ji³
    • Yale: chā kèuhng yàhn yi, chā kéuhng yàhn yi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsaa¹ koeng⁴ jan⁴ ji³, tsaa¹ koeng⁵ jan⁴ ji³
    • Guangdong Romanization: ca¹ kêng⁴ yen⁴ yi³, ca¹ kêng⁵ yen⁴ yi³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰaː⁵⁵ kʰœːŋ²¹ jɐn²¹ jiː³³/, /t͡sʰaː⁵⁵ kʰœːŋ¹³ jɐn²¹ jiː³³/

Note: caa1 koeng5 jan4 ji3 - alternative reading for sense #2.

Idiom

差強人意

1. (approvingly) just passable; fair; adequate
2. (neologism, disapprovingly) below standard and not quite satisfactory; barely acceptable; not that great; just ok

   Synonym: 強差人意／强差人意