What Does 一般般 (yī bān bān) Mean in Chinese?
Enhanced context lessonCommon
So-so / Nothing special
Quick answer: What does 一般般 mean?
一般般 — A casual evaluation that something is neither very good nor very bad. It often softens a negative opinion.
✓So-so.
✓Just average.
✓Nothing special.
What Chinese people actually mean
一般般 can be an understated criticism. If a friend recommends a restaurant, calling it 一般般 may politely say you were unimpressed.
Literal meaning
Literally, average-average; the repeated form sounds conversational.
When not to use it
Do not use it when you mean outstanding or strongly positive.
Common mistakes
- It gives a middling or so-so evaluation.
Chinese characters
Open each character to see its own meanings and vocabulary links.
Real conversations
1 · Reviewing a restaurant
A: 那家店怎么样？
nà jiā diàn zěnmeyàng?
A: How was that restaurant?
B: 一般般，味道还行。
yī bān bān, wèidào hái xíng.
B: So-so. The food was okay.
2 · Describing your day
A: 今天过得怎么样？
jīntiān guò de zěnmeyàng?
A: How was your day?
B: 一般般，有点累。
yī bān bān, yǒudiǎn lèi.
B: So-so. A bit tiring.
How to pronounce 一般般
一般般
Tap to hear Mandarin.
When to use it
✓Common in informal speech.
✓It can be more negative than a literal “average” rating.
✓还行 often sounds a little more positive.
Sources and editorial note
Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.Context lesson: Original Chinese Meaning context lesson; examples written for this site.