How to say “ordinary” in Chinese

一般

yìbān

ordinary; usually

adjective · HSK 3 · topic “Health and wrap-up”

“Ordinary” in Chinese is 一般, yì bān: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.

How to pronounce it

一般 is read yì bān: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.

yì — 4th tonesharply falling, like “Stop!”

bān — 1st tonehigh and level, like a long note

How to write it

一

yī — one

Before a measure word its tone changes: yí before a fourth tone, yì before the others. In numbers and dates it stays yī.

般

bān — kind, sort

On the left, 舟 “boat”. It hints at the sound of 搬 bān.

Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “一般”.

Examples

Sentences from the course lessons with 一般. Tap the sound icon to listen.

一般来说，感冒一周就能好。yìbānláishuō,gǎnmàoyìzhōujiùnénghǎoAs a rule, a cold goes away in a week.
一般来说北方的冬天很冷yìbānláishuō,běifāngdedōngtiānhěnlěngAs a rule, winters in the north are very cold.
本科一般要读四年。běnkēyìbānyàodúsìniánA bachelor's degree usually takes four years.
这台电脑外观很漂亮，可是质量一般。zhètáidiànnǎowàiguānhěnpiàoliang,kěshìzhìliàngyìbānThis computer looks great, but the quality is so-so.
你业余时间一般做什么？nǐyèyúshíjiānyìbānzuòshénmeWhat do you usually do in your spare time?
压岁钱一般放在红包里yāsuìqiányìbānfàngzàihóngbāoli“New Year money” is usually put in a red envelope.

More words from the lesson “Often, always, usually”

Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say “ordinary” in Chinese?

“Ordinary” in Chinese is 一般, pinyin yìbān.

What does 一般 mean?

一般 (yìbān) means “ordinary; usually”.

How do you write 一般?

一般 is 2 characters: 一 (yī) — one; 般 (bān) — kind, sort. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.

How do you pronounce 一般?

一般 is read yìbān. Tones: yì — fourth tone, bān — first tone. The page has a native speaker recording.

“ordinary” in the lesson “Often, always, usually”

This word is from the topic “Health and wrap-up” of HSK 3. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.

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