Meaning of 一般
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- same
- ordinary
- so-so
- common
- general
- generally
- in general
How to use 一般
一般 describes something as average or so-so, and it also works as an adverb meaning usually or in general. It often answers questions about quality, as in 味道一般 (wèidào yībān), the taste is just okay. Example: 我一般七点起床。(Wǒ yībān qī diǎn qǐchuáng.) I usually get up at seven.
一 (yī) means one, and 般 (bān) means a kind or sort. If everything is of one kind, nothing stands out, so 一般 means ordinary or general.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 一般 (yībān) with 一半 (yībàn, half) because they sound almost the same. Listen for the tone on the second syllable: bān is first tone, bàn is fourth tone.
一般 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
一 yī · one · 1 strokes
- 1
般 bān · sort · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
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- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 一般.
| 一起 | yīqǐ | (in) the same place; together; in company (with) |
| 一样 | yīyàng | same; like |
| 一些 | yīxiē | some; a few; a little; (following an adjective) slightly ...er |
| 一会儿 | yīhuìr | a moment; a while |
| 一半 | yībàn | half |
| 一边 | yībiān | one side; either side |
| 一点儿 | yīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] |
| 一块儿 | yīkuàir | erhua variant of 一塊|一块[yi1 kuai4] |
| 一下儿 | yīxiàr | erhua form of 一下[yi1 xia4] |
| 有一些 | yǒuyīxiē | somewhat; rather |
| 一定 | yīdìng | surely; certainly; definitely; fixed; settled |
| 一直 | yīzhí | straight (in a straight line); continuously; always; all the way through |
Questions about 一般
What does 一般 mean?
一般 (yībān) means "same; ordinary" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 一般?
一般 is made of 2 characters: 一 (1 strokes), 般 (10 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 一般 an HSK word?
Yes. 一般 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is saying something is 一般 a compliment?
Not really. When describing food, a movie, or a skill, 一般 means mediocre or nothing special. It is a mild, polite way to say you were not impressed.
How do 一般 and 一样 differ?
一样 (yīyàng) means the same as something else, as in 他和我一样高, he is as tall as me. 一般 can mean the same in phrases like 一般大, but in everyday speech it usually means ordinary or usually.