差强人意
- Literal
- somewhat lifts one's spirits
- Figurative
- Passable, acceptable and no more: it just about does the job without impressing anyone. Careful: it does not mean "disappointing," a common misreading of 差.
Where does 差强人意 come from?
It comes from the Book of the Later Han, in the biography of General Wu Han, who served Emperor Guangwu. When a battle was going badly and many generals lost their composure, Wu Han stayed calm, readying the weapons and rousing the troops. The emperor sent someone to see what he was doing and, on hearing the report, exclaimed that Lord Wu fairly lifted one's spirits and carried as much weight as an enemy state. There 差 (chā) meant "fairly, somewhat," and the phrase was praise; over time the sense slid down to "passable," and today it is used for whatever meets the bare minimum.
Source (出处): 《后汉书·吴汉传》
How is 差强人意 used? Two examples
- 这次考试成绩差强人意，至少没有不及格。
My results on this exam were passable; at least I didn't fail anything.
- 楼下那家面馆味道差强人意，价格也实惠，偶尔来吃还行。
The noodle place downstairs is passable and the prices are fair, so it's fine for the odd meal.
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