HSK 1 · Article · 206 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-does-chabuduo-mean

差不多先生

What does 差不多 mean

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中国zhōngguó人rén很hěn喜欢xǐhuān说shuō“差不多chàbuduō”。我们wǒmen来lái看看kànkan。

“饭fàn做zuò好hǎo了le吗ma？”“差不多chàbuduō了le。”——还hái要yào五wǔ分钟fēnzhōng。

“这zhè两liǎng件jiàn衣服yīfu，哪nǎ件jiàn好看hǎokàn？”“差不多chàbuduō。”——两liǎng件jiàn都dōu好看hǎokàn。

“这个zhège多少duōshao钱qián？”“差不多chàbuduō十shí块kuài。”——九块八jiǔkuàibā。

可是kěshì，什么shénme事shì都dōu差不多chàbuduō，可以kéyǐ吗ma？

一百yìbǎi年nián前qián，胡适húshì先生xiānsheng写xiě了le一yí个gè故事gùshi。他tā写xiě的de人rén，叫jiào“差不多chàbuduō先生xiānsheng”。

他tā写字xiězì，“十shí”和hé“千qiān”，他tā觉得juéde差不多chàbuduō。

他tā去qù坐zuò火车huǒchē。火车huǒchē八点半bādiǎnbàn开kāi，他tā八点三十二bādiǎnsānshí’èr到dào。火车huǒchē开kāi了le，他tā说shuō：“八点半bādiǎnbàn和hé八点三十二bādiǎnsānshí’èr，不是búshì差不多chàbuduō吗ma？”他tā明天míngtiān再zài坐zuò火车huǒchē。

学xué中文zhōngwén的de时候shíhou，我们wǒmen也yě有yǒu“差不多chàbuduō先生xiānsheng”。

你nǐ想xiǎng买mǎi四sì个gè包子bāozi，说shuō了le“十shí个gè”。“四sì”和hé“十shí”，差不多chàbuduō吧ba？

店diàn里的de人rén很hěn高兴gāoxìng：“差不多chàbuduō先生xiānsheng，这zhè是shì您nín的de十shí个gè包子bāozi！”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
中国zhōngguóChina
人rénperson; people
很hěnvery; quite
喜欢xǐhuānto like; to be fond of
说shuōto speak; to say
来láito come
做zuòto do
好hǎogood; nice
五wǔfive
分钟fēnzhōngminute
件jiànitem; document (as in 文件, 邮件)
衣服yīfuclothes; clothing

English (for the teacher)

Chinese people love to say “chabuduo”. Let's take a look.

“Is dinner ready?” “Chabuduo, almost.” Five more minutes.

“Which of these two tops looks better?” “Chabuduo, about the same.” They both look good.

“How much is this?” “Chabuduo ten yuan, about ten.” Nine eighty.

But can everything be just chabuduo?

A hundred years ago, Hu Shi wrote a story. The man he wrote about is called “Mr Chabuduo”, Mr About-the-Same.

When he writes, “ten” and “thousand” seem about the same to him.

He goes to catch a train. The train leaves at half past eight, and he gets there at eight thirty-two. The train has gone, and he says, “Half past eight and eight thirty-two, aren't they about the same?” He'll take the train tomorrow.

When we learn Chinese, we have our own Mr Chabuduo too.

You want to buy four steamed buns, and you say “ten”. “Four” and “ten”, they're about the same, right?

The shopkeeper is delighted: “Mr Chabuduo, here are your ten buns!”