差 meaning and stroke order
Different; wrong; mistaken; to fall short; to lack
How to write 差, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 4
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- 9
Meaning of 差
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- different
- wrong; mistaken
- to fall short; to lack
- not up to standard; inferior
- Taiwan pr. [cha1]
- difference; discrepancy
- (math.) difference (amount remaining after a subtraction)
- (literary) a little; somewhat; slightly
- to send (on an errand)
- (archaic) person sent on such an errand
- job; official post
- used in 參差|参差[cen1 ci1]
How 差 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Work 工 done by a sheep 羊; incompetence.
Radical: 工 (labor), shared by 7 characters on this site.
How to remember 差
The top of 差 is a sheep 羊 and the bottom is work 工. Work 工 done by a sheep 羊 is going to be poor, so 差 means falling short, not up to standard.
As chà, 差 describes something poor in quality or missing a bit, and it appears in very common words like 差不多 (chàbuduō) and 差点儿 (chàdiǎnr). As chā it means difference, as in 差别 (chābié), and as chāi it means an errand or work trip, as in 出差 (chūchāi). Example: 我差点儿迟到了。(Wǒ chàdiǎnr chídào le.) I was almost late.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 差 as chà, but it is chā in 差别 (chābié), 差距 (chājù), 差异 (chāyì) and 差错 (chācuò), and chāi in 出差 (chūchāi). Also do not confuse the shape with 着 (zhe), which has the same sheep top but 目 below instead of 工.
Common words with 差
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 差不多 | chàbuduō | almost; nearly | HSK 2 |
| 出差 | chūchāi | to go on an official or business trip | HSK 5 |
| 差别 | chābié | difference; distinction; disparity | HSK 5 |
| 差距 | chājù | disparity; gap | HSK 5 |
| 差点儿 | chàdiǎnr | erhua variant of 差點|差点[cha4 dian3] | HSK 5 |
| 差一点儿 | chàyīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 差一點|差一点[cha4 yi1 dian3] | HSK 5 |
| 差异 | chāyì | difference; discrepancy | HSK 6 |
| 差错 | chācuò | mistake; slip-up; fault; error; accident; mishap | HSK 7-9 |
| 相差 | xiāngchà | to differ | HSK 7-9 |
| 偏差 | piānchā | bias; deviation | HSK 7-9 |
| 误差 | wùchā | difference; error | HSK 7-9 |
| 差额 | chā'é | balance (financial); discrepancy (in a sum or quota) | HSK 7-9 |
| 反差 | fǎnchā | contrast; discrepancy | HSK 7-9 |
| 落差 | luòchā | drop in elevation; (fig.) gap (in wages, expectations etc) | HSK 7-9 |
差 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 差
Learning 差 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 差
How many strokes are in 差?
差 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 差 mean?
差 (chà) means different; wrong; mistaken; to fall short; to lack. A common word with it is 差不多 (chàbuduō), meaning "almost; nearly".
How do you pronounce 差?
差 is pronounced chà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 差?
The radical of 差 is 工, which carries the idea of "labor". Dictionaries list 差 under this radical.
Is 差 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 差 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do I say something is bad quality using 差?
Put 差 (chà) after the thing as a predicate, often with 很 or 太. For example, 这家店的服务很差 (Zhè jiā diàn de fúwù hěn chà) means the service at this shop is poor.
How is 差 used when telling the time?
差 (chà) means to lack or be short of, so it can express minutes before the hour. 差五分八点 (chà wǔ fēn bā diǎn) means five minutes to eight.