差chànot up to standard; inferior

1. 1.

   not up to standard; inferioradjective

2. 2.

   to fall short; to lackverb

3. 3.

   wrong; mistakenadjective

• 差not up to standard; inferior

差 is often used to say quality is poor, and it can also say how much time or money is still missing.

1. HSK 1

   他的中文很差。

   Tā de Zhōngwén hěn chà.

   His Chinese is very poor.

2. HSK 1

   现在差五分八点。

   Xiànzài chà wǔ fēn bā diǎn.

   It is five minutes to eight now.

3. HSK 1

   我还差十块钱。

   Wǒ hái chà shí kuài qián.

   I am still ten yuan short.

1. 
   Speaker A:

   你买到那本书了吗？

   Nǐ mǎidào nà běn shū le ma?

   Did you get that book?

2. 
   Speaker B:

   没有，书五十块，我还差十块钱。

   Méiyǒu, shū wǔshí kuài, wǒ hái chà shí kuài qián.

   No. The book is fifty yuan, and I am still ten yuan short.

3. 
   Speaker A:

   我给你十块。商店几点关门？

   Wǒ gěi nǐ shí kuài. Shāngdiàn jǐ diǎn guānmén?

   I will give you ten. What time does the store close?

4. 
   Speaker B:

   八点关门，现在差五分八点，我们快走！

   Bā diǎn guānmén, xiànzài chà wǔ fēn bā diǎn, wǒmen kuài zǒu!

   It closes at eight, and it is five to eight now. Let's hurry!

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Related words

• 差不多chà bu duōalmostHSK 3
• 好hǎogood; appropriate; properHSK 1
• 钱qiánmoney; coinHSK 1
• 分fēnminute (unit of time)HSK 1
• 点diǎn(after a number) o'clockHSK 1
• 块kuàiclassifier for pieces of cloth, cake, soap etcHSK 1

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