Meaning of 差不多
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- almost
- nearly
- more or less
- about the same
- good enough
- not bad
How to use 差不多
As an adverb it goes before a verb, number or time to mean "almost" or "about": 我差不多到了。(Wǒ chàbuduō dào le.) I'm almost there. As an adjective it means "about the same" or "good enough", as in 这两个差不多。(Zhè liǎng gè chàbuduō.) These two are about the same.
Break it into 差 (chà, to differ or fall short) + 不 (bù, not) + 多 (duō, much). "The difference is not much" means two things are almost the same, or something is nearly done.
Common mistake: Learners often read 差 as chā or chāi here, but in this word it is chà, and 不 is said in a light neutral tone: chàbuduō. Also, 差不多 is not a polite "no problem" reply, so do not use it where 没关系 (méi guānxi) fits.
差不多 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.
差 chà · different · 9 strokes
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不 bù · no · 4 strokes
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多 duō · many · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 差不多.
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down; to disappoint |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 多少 | duōshao | number; amount; somewhat |
| 不大 | bù dà | not very (clear, far away etc); not too; not often; infrequently |
| 不对 | bùduì | incorrect; wrong |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 不要 | bùyào | don't!; must not |
| 不过 | bùguò | only; merely |
| 不错 | bùcuò | correct; right |
| 不行 | bùxíng | won't do; be out of the question |
| 不同 | bù tóng | different; distinct |
Questions about 差不多
What does 差不多 mean?
差不多 (chàbuduō) means "almost; nearly" and is used as a adjective and adverb.
How do you write 差不多?
差不多 is made of 3 characters: 差 (9 strokes), 不 (4 strokes), 多 (6 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 差不多 an HSK word?
Yes. 差不多 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 差不多 and 几乎 (jīhū)?
Both can mean "almost", but 几乎 is only an adverb and sounds a bit more formal. 差不多 is more casual and can also stand alone as an adjective, like 差不多了 (that's about it, good enough).
Can 差不多 sound negative?
Yes. Calling something 差不多 can imply it is just okay, not perfect. Saying someone has a 差不多 attitude suggests they are careless and settle for "close enough".