Dictionary › 差

差

chà

HSK 3 Character

What 差 means

1. different
2. wrong; mistaken
3. to fall short; to lack
4. not up to standard; inferior
5. Taiwan pr. chā

Other readings

差 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• chādifference; discrepancy; difference (amount remaining after a subtraction); a little; some
• chāito send (on an errand); person sent on such an errand; job; official post
• cīused in {参差|cēn cī}

Example sentences

• 差异惊人。
  The difference is striking.
• 我来出差。
  I came on business.
• 他们差六岁。
  The difference in their ages is six years.
• 差点就对了。
  That is almost correct.
• 这条路很差。
  This road is terrible.
• 我差点忘了。
  I'd almost forgotten about that.

Words starting with 差

• 差不多chà bu duōalmost; nearly; more or less
• 差别chā biédifference; distinction; disparity
• 差距chā jùdisparity; gap
• 差点chà diǎnalmost; nearly
• 差异chā yìdifference; discrepancy
• 差错chā cuòmistake; slip-up; fault; error; accident; mishap
• 差价chā jiàdifference in price
• 差事chāi shierrand; assignment; job
• 差额chā ébalance (financial); discrepancy (in a sum or quota); difference
• 差劲chà jìnbad; no good; below average
• 差生chà shēngweak student
• 差使chāi shǐto send; to assign; to appoint
• 差强人意chā qiáng rén yì(idiom) just passable; barely satisfactory
• 差异性chā yì xìngdifference
• 差役chāi yìforced labor of feudal tenant (corvée); bailiff of feudal yamen
• 差遣chāi qiǎnto send (on errand)
• 差分chā fēn(math) increment; difference; (engineering) differential
• 差商chā shāng(math) difference quotient; (math) divided difference; (math) finite difference
• 差失chā shīmistake; slip-up
• 差数chā shùdifference (the result of subtraction)
• 差旅chāi lǚto travel on business; to go on a business trip
• 差派chāi pàito dispatch
• 差评chà píngpoor evaluation; adverse criticism
• 差远chà yuǎninferior; not up to par; to fall far short

Words containing 差

• 出差chū chāito go on an official or business trip
• 相差xiāng chàto differ
• 时差shí chātime difference; time lag; jet lag
• 偏差piān chābias; deviation
• 误差wù chādifference; error; inaccuracy
• 反差fǎn chācontrast; discrepancy
• 落差luò chādrop in elevation; (fig.) gap (in wages, expectations etc); disparity
• 邮差yóu chāipostman; mailman (dated in mainland China)
• 顺差shùn chā(trade or budget) surplus
• 逆差nì chāadverse trade balance; trade deficit
• 时间差shí jiān chādifference in timing; time gap; time lag; (volleyball) timing-gap attack…
• 温差wēn chādifference in temperature
• 参差不齐cēn cī bù qí(idiom) variable; uneven; irregular
• 参差cēn cīuneven; jagged; snaggletooth; ragged; serrated
• 鬼使神差guǐ shǐ shén chāidemons and gods at work (idiom); unexplained event crying out for a supernatural…
• 隔三差五gé sān chà wǔ(idiom) every few days; every once in a while
• 交差jiāo chāito report back after completion of one's mission
• 阴差阳错yīn chā yáng cuò(idiom) due to an unexpected turn of events
• 开小差kāi xiǎo chāito be absent-minded; to desert; to abscond from the army
• 千差万别qiān chā wàn bié(idiom) extremely diverse; to vary greatly
• 公差gōng chātolerance (allowed error); common difference (of an arithmetic series)
• 价差jià chāprice difference
• 级差jí chādifferential (between grades); salary differential
• 不差bù chànot bad; OK

Characters that look like 差

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 是shìto be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true…
• 查cháto research; to check; to investigate
• 星xīngstar; heavenly body; satellite
• 羞xiūshy; ashamed; shame
• 盈yíngfull; filled; surplus
• 姜jiāngginger

Sounds the same

Read chà, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 刹Buddhist monastery, temple or shrine (abbr. for 刹多罗
• 岔fork in road; bifurcation; branch in road, river, mountain range etc
• 诧to be surprised; to be astonished
• 杈branches of a tree; fork of a tree
• 姹(literary) beautiful
• 叉used in 劈叉; used in 分叉
• 汊branching stream
• 侘boast; despondent
• 衩slit on either side of robe