半斤八两 — “To be much the same”
半斤八两 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be much the same”. To be evenly matched; six of one and half a dozen of the other. Literally, “Half a catty, eight taels (where eight taels is half a catty)”.
Frequency
半斤八两 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 半bàn
- 斤jīn
- 八bā
- 两liǎng
半斤八两 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 半斤八两
这两位选手的表现半斤八两，很难分出高下。
The performance of these two contestants is much the same; it's hard to tell who is better.
Idioms Related to 半斤八两
Synonyms of 半斤八两
Antonyms of 半斤八两
More idioms starting with 半
- bàn半sān三bù不sì四absent-minded and dispirited
- bàn半shàng上bàn半xià下undecided between two choices
- bàn半shàng上luò落xià下leave things unfinished
- bàn半sī丝bàn半lǚ缕a tiny bit
- bàn半mǔ亩fāng方táng塘A small, confined area
- bàn半dī低bù不gāo高of medium height or level
- bàn半xìn信bù不xìn信half-believing, half-doubting
- bàn半xìn信bàn半yí疑half-believing and half-doubting
- bàn半bàn半lā拉lā拉incomplete or half-done
- bàn半bàn半lù路lù路halfway through a task
- bàn半diào吊zi子a dabbler; not proficient in a skill
- bàn半tǔ吐bàn半lù露speak evasively or ambiguously
Questions about 半斤八两
- What does 半斤八两 mean?
- 半斤八两 (bàn jīn bā liǎng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be much the same”.
- How do you pronounce 半斤八两?
- 半斤八两 is pronounced bàn jīn bā liǎng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 半斤八两 literally mean?
- Literally, 半斤八两 means “Half a catty, eight taels (where eight taels is half a catty)”. It is used to mean “to be much the same”.
- What is the Chinese definition of 半斤八两?
- 八两：即半斤。一个半斤，一个八两。比喻彼此一样，不相上下。