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：「吳公差強人意，隱若一敵國矣。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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 héwéi, hái yán fāng xiū zhàn gōng zhī jù, nǎi tàn yuē: “Wúgōng chāqiángrényì, yǐn ruò yī díguó yǐ.” [Pinyin]

The Emperor [Guangwu of Han] then sent someone to see what the Grand Marshal [Wu Han] was doing, who reported [that Wu Han was] refurbishing instruments of war, to which [Emperor Wu of Han] exclaimed, "Mr. Wu does not disappoint, [as if] secretly having powers akin to that of a (rival) nation."

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

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): chāqiángrényì, chàqiángrényì

(Zhuyin): ㄔㄚㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˋ, ㄔㄚˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): caa¹ koeng⁴ jan⁴ ji³ / caa¹ koeng⁵ jan⁴ ji³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: chāqiángrényì
  - Zhuyin: ㄔㄚㄑㄧㄤˊ 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–Macau)⁺
  - 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

(approvingly) just passable; fair; adequate
(neologism, disapprovingly) below standard and not quite satisfactory; barely acceptable; not that great; just ok
Synonym: 強差人意 / 强差人意