一般
yībān
The English word 'general' translates to Chinese as 一般 (yībān). Wiktionary also lists 普通 (pǔtōng).
Meaning: involving every part or member, not specific or particular (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 一般 | yībān |
| 普通 | pǔtōng |
The term is used to describe things that are involving every part or member, not specific or particular. You may also see the phrase 一般來說 used to mean 'generally speaking' when starting a sentence to make a general statement.
Which one should you use?
While both words can relate to being common, they have different nuances. 一般 is used for things that are common, usual or follow a general pattern. In contrast, 普通 describes things that are ordinary or unremarkable and it often implies a lack of special quality.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
yībān
Did you know?
- In colloquial speech, instead of saying something is 一般 (yībān), people might say it is 马马虎虎 (mǎmǎhūhū), which literally translates to 'horse horse tiger tiger' to mean 'just so-so'.
- When talking about a 'general' person in a formal or military sense, Chinese uses 将军 (jiāngjūn), which is a completely different word from the adjective 一般 (yībān).
- While 普通 means 'general' or 'ordinary', it is also the first word in 普通話 (pǔtōnghuà), the official name for Mandarin Chinese, which translates to 'common speech'.
Examples in context
- 最小的兄弟姐妹一般都最漂亮。The youngest siblings are in general the most beautiful ones.This sentence shows how to use 一般 to describe a common characteristic of youngest siblings.Tatoeba #9961393 by GlossaMatik, translation #1802597 by Scott
- 一般四邊形的面積無法表示為其邊長的函數。The area of a general quadrilateral cannot be written as a function of its side lengths.This sentence uses 一般 to describe a general quadrilateral in a mathematical context.Tatoeba #13835760 by LeviHighway, translation #13423419 by frpzzd
- 一般來說, 男人比女人跑得快。In general, men run faster than women.This sentence demonstrates how to use the phrase 一般來說 to mean 'in general'.Tatoeba #769627 by Martha, translation #707095 by papabear
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yuting and Junjie are discussing how to dress for a party.
- 雨婷 Yuting这场聚会要求穿一般服装吗？Zhè chǎng jùhuì yāoqiú chuān yībān fúzhuāng ma?Does this party require general clothing?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，没有特别的着装要求。Shì de, méiyǒu tèbié de zhuózhuāng yāoqiú.Yes, there are no specific dress requirements.
- 雨婷 Yuting那我穿简单的衬衫就行了。Nà wǒ chuān jiǎndān de chènshān jiù xíng le.Then a simple shirt will be fine for me.
- 俊杰 Junjie没错，一般的风格就可以。Méi cuò, yībān de fēnggé jiù kěyǐ.That's right, a general style is fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “general” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
