Chinese learners move from characters to idioms as the highest level. This free resource explains 「半斤八面」 below.
This time, our spotlight is on the idiom 「半斤八面」. Its meaning and how it’s applied are described below.
According to the old system, one catty is equal to sixteen taels, and half a catty is equal to eight taels. One weighs half a catty, the other weighs eight ounces, they are of equal weight. A metaphor for being the same as each other, equal in quality. Also written as “one and a half catties, one eight ounces” and “half a catty against eight ounces”.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
bàn jīn bā miàn
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
bun3 gan1 baat3 min6/min2
Chinese idioms come in large numbers, with diverse meanings and usages, offering endless learning opportunities. We hope these resources make it easier for you to study Chinese.
