Usage note
差用来表示缺少或不同。
chà lái bǎo shí xiào kě yǐ lù chà le.
差 is used to indicate a lack or difference.
Context note
差常用于描述成绩、比较物品质量或者时间上的差异。
chà cháng yòng lái bǎo shí jì chéng qí pǐn wèi lì hé shí jiān shàng de chà dá.
差 is commonly used to describe grades, compare the quality of items, or differences in time.
5 examples
他的成绩比你差。
tā de chéng jì bǐ nǐ chà。
His grade is worse than yours.
这个玩具的质量差一些。
zhè ge wán jù de zhì liàng chà yì xiē。
This toy's quality is a bit different.
我们出发晚了，时间差了两个小时。
wǒ men chū fā wǎn le， shí jiān chà le liǎng gè xiǎo shí。
We left late; the time difference is two hours.
这个故事和那个差很多。
zhè ge gù shì hé nà ge chà hěn duō。
This story differs a lot from that one.
他今天比昨天差一点。
tā jīn tiān bǐ zuó tiān chà yì diǎn。
He is not as good today as yesterday.
5 mini stories
小明的数学成绩差，他需要努力学习。
xiǎo míng de shù xué chéng jì chà， tā xū yào nǔ lì xué xí。
Xiaoming's math grade is poor; he needs to work harder.
妈妈说这个玩具差一些，不如那个好。
mā ma shuō zhè ge wán jù chà yì xiē， bù rú nà ge hǎo。
Mom says this toy is a bit different; it's not as good as that one.
我们出发晚了，时间差了两个小时。
wǒ men chū fā wǎn le， shí jiān chà le liǎng gè xiǎo shí。
We left late; the time difference is two hours.
这个故事和那个差很多。
zhè ge gù shì hé nà ge chà hěn duō。
This story differs a lot from that one.
他今天比昨天差一点。
tā jīn tiān bǐ zuó tiān chà yì diǎn。
He is not as good today as yesterday.
Mini dialogue
还差一点
A
作业写完了吗？
Zuòyè xiě wán le ma?
Have you finished your homework?
B
还差一题就写完了。
Hái chà yī tí jiù xiě wán le.
I still lack one question to finish.
时间差
A
我的表慢了两分钟，时间有点差。
Wǒ de biǎo màn le liǎng fēnzhōng, shíjiān yǒudiǎn chà.
My watch is two minutes slow, the time differs a bit.
B
没关系，我们等你。
Méi guānxi, wǒmen děng nǐ.
It's okay, we'll wait for you.
Related words and contrasts
similar
少
shǎo
few; little; to lack
Indicates a small quantity or that something is missing.
contrast
错
cuò
wrong; mistaken
差 can mean 'not good enough', while 错 means 'incorrect'.
related
不同
bù tóng
different
差 implies a difference in quality or amount.