halfway; incomplete
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesadjective
half-finished; incomplete; in a state of disarray
informalA colloquial reduplicative adjective describing something left partially done, often implying a messy or unsatisfactory state. It emphasizes the process being abandoned midway.
Zhè这
fáng房
zi子
zhuāng装
xiū修
dé得
bàn半
bɑn半
lā拉
lā拉
de的
，
zěn怎
me么
zhù住
a啊
？
The house was left half-renovated; how can we live here?
Tā他
kàn看
shū书
zǒng总
shì是
bàn半
bɑn半
lā拉
lā拉
de的
，
méi没
yī一
běn本
kàn看
wán完
guo过
。
He always reads books halfway through; he's never finished a single one.
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Bié别
bǎ把
shì事
qíng情
zuò做
dé得
bàn半
bɑn半
lā拉
lā拉
de的
，
yào要
gàn干
jiù就
gàn干
wán完
。
Don't leave things half-done; if you're going to do it, finish it.
Zhuō桌
shàng上
de的
wén文
jiàn件
tān摊
dé得
bàn半
bɑn半
lā拉
lā拉
de的
，
kuài快
shōu收
shi拾
yī一
xià下
。
The documents on the desk are spread out in a messy, incomplete state; tidy them up quickly.