barely adequate; get by with difficulty; industrious but struggling
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesadjective
barely adequate; just managing; get by
dialectDescribes a situation where something or someone is just sufficient or passable, often implying it's not ideal but works.
Yī一
bān般
shū书
bào报
tā他
bā巴
bā巴
jiē结
jiē结
néng能
kàn看
dǒng懂
。
He can just barely understand ordinary books and newspapers.
Tā他
de的
Zhōng中
wén文
shuǐ水
píng平
bā巴
bā巴
jiē结
jiē结
gòu够
rì日
cháng常
jiāo交
liú流
。
His Chinese level is just barely enough for daily conversation.
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Zhè这
ge个
jiù旧
shǒu手
jī机
bā巴
bā巴
jiē结
jiē结
hái还
néng能
yòng用
。
This old phone still works, just barely.
adjective
diligent but struggling; hardworking with effort
dialectDescribes someone who works very hard, often under difficult circumstances, showing a sense of perseverance and toil.
Tā她
bā巴
bā巴
jiē结
jiē结
de地
zuò做
zhe着
shì事
qing情
。
She is diligently but laboriously doing her work.
Tā他
bā巴
bā巴
jiē结
jiē结
cóng从
lǎo老
yuǎn远
pǎo跑
lái来
wèi为
le了
shá啥
？
Why did he make all this effort to come from so far away?
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Lǎo老
rén人
bā巴
bā巴
jiē结
jiē结
yī一
bèi辈
zi子
，
jiù就
wèi为
le了
gōng供
hái孩
zi子
shàng上
xué学
。
The old man toiled diligently his whole life just to put his children through school.