phrase / predicate HSK 4
Traditional 差得遠
far from it · nowhere near · not even close · a long way off
Meaning
This phrase literally means 'differ by far' and expresses that something falls significantly short of a standard, expectation, or comparison point. It emphasizes a large gap or distance between what is and what should be, or between two things being compared.
Usage
Commonly used in spoken Mandarin to express disappointment or realistic assessment. Often appears after stating what something is being compared to, using patterns like 'A跟B差得远' (A is far inferior to B) or '离...还差得远' (still far from...). The tone is frank and direct, suitable for informal contexts.
Examples
- 01你的中文水平跟他差得远。.Your Chinese level is nowhere near his.
- 02离成功还差得远呢，别骄傲。, '.We're still far from success, don't get cocky.
Characters
Common collocations
- 离...还差得远...still far from...
- 跟...差得远...far inferior to...
- 差得远了not even close (emphatic)
- 还差得远呢still has a long way to go
Antonyms
Origin
Combines the verb 差 (to differ/lack) with the degree complement structure 得远 (by far), a common grammatical pattern in Mandarin for expressing extent.