not count among the best; not measure up
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesverb
to not count among the best; to not measure up to standards; to not rank among the top
informalUsed to indicate that someone or something is not outstanding enough to be ranked among the top group. Often used in the structure '在……里/中，……数不着'. Can be used transitively (with the object following) or intransitively. A more colloquial variant is '数不上'.
Lùn论
shè射
jì击
jì技
shù术
，
zài在
wǒ我
men们
lián连
lǐ里
kě可
shǔ数
bu不
zháo着
wǒ我
。
When it comes to marksmanship, I don't count among the best in our company.
Yào要
shuō说
huà画
huà画
，
tā他
zài在
wǒ我
men们
bān班
lǐ可
kě真
zhēn数
shǔ不
bu着
。
When it comes to drawing, he really doesn't rank among the top in our class.
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Lùn论
xué学
xí习
chéng成
jì绩
，
tā他
shǔ数
bu不
zháo着
，
dàn但
tǐ体
yù育
hěn很
bàng棒
。
He doesn't measure up academically, but he's excellent at sports.
Zài在
zhè这
qún群
zhuān专
jiā家
lǐ里
，
tā他
yě也
shǔ数
bu不
zháo着
。
Among this group of experts, he doesn't count among the top either.