uneven; irregular; inconsistent
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
3 senses · 7 examplesadjective
uneven; irregular; of varying lengths, heights, or sizes
literaryDescribes things that are not uniform or aligned. Often used in written and formal contexts.
Zhè这
xiē些
shù树
mù木
zhǎng长
de得
cēn参
cī差
bù不
qí齐
。
These trees have grown unevenly.
Xué学
sheng生
de的
Yīng英
yǔ语
shuǐ水
píng平
cēn参
cī差
bù不
qí齐
。
The students' English proficiency levels are uneven.
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Yuǎn远
chù处
shì是
yī一
piàn片
cēn参
cī差
bù不
qí齐
de的
wū屋
dǐng顶
。
In the distance is a row of irregular rooftops.
adverb
approximately; almost; nearly
archaicArchaic or classical literary usage, not common in modern spoken language.
Cǐ此
qù去
jīng京
chéng城
，
cēn参
cī差
sān三
bǎi百
lǐ里
。
From here to the capital, it is approximately three hundred miles.
Chéng城
zhōng中
bǎi百
xìng姓
，
cēn参
cī差
shí十
wàn万
。
The city's population is nearly one hundred thousand.
verb
to miss; to let slip; to waste (time); to fail to meet
archaicArchaic or classical literary usage, describing missed opportunities or wasted time.
Jiā佳
qī期
cēn参
cī差
，
lìng令
rén人
tàn叹
wǎn惋
。
Missing the auspicious date makes one sigh with regret.
Suì岁
yuè月
cēn参
cī差
，
gōng功
yè业
wèi未
chéng成
。
Time has been wasted, and achievements remain unaccomplished.