差 (chā / chà) — difference / poor

差 (chā / chà)

差 has two important readings at this level. As chā it is a noun meaning difference or gap (as in 差距, gap, or 差别, difference). As chà it is an adjective meaning poor quality, not good enough, or lacking. Context and collocations determine which reading to use.

Meanings

1. [noun, chā] Difference; gap; discrepancy.
2. [adjective, chà] Poor; bad; not up to standard; lacking.

Example Sentences

两个数之间的差是多少？ Liǎng gè shù zhījiān de chā shì duōshao? What is the difference between the two numbers?

他的成绩很差。 Tā de chéngjì hěn chà. His grades are very poor.

这两个东西差别很大。 Zhè liǎng gè dōngxi chābié hěn dà. The difference between these two things is very large.

质量太差，不能买。 Zhìliàng tài chà, bù néng mǎi. The quality is too poor; do not buy it.

Collocations

Memory Hook

Think of 差 as a measuring stick. When you measure the gap between two things, that gap is chā (difference). When something falls short of the measuring stick, it is chà (poor, not measuring up).