一般

• Pinyin: yī bān
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = 'one'; 般 = 舟 (boat) + 殳 (hand with tool), originally 'to carry,' extended to 'kind/sort'

Meaning

General; ordinary; so-so. Describes something as average, common, or not special.

Has two main uses: (1) as an adjective meaning 'ordinary' or 'average' — 一般的饭店 (an ordinary restaurant); (2) as an adverb meaning 'generally' or 'usually' — 我一般七点起床 (I usually get up at seven). When used to evaluate something, it often implies 'mediocre' or 'nothing special.'

Examples

1. 这家餐厅的菜一般，不太好吃。 The food at this restaurant is so-so — not very tasty.
2. 我一般坐公交车上班。 I usually take the bus to work.
3. 一般来说，冬天比较冷。 Generally speaking, winter is relatively cold.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, conversation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 今天的考试一般，不难也不容易。(Today's exam was so-so — neither hard nor easy.)
• 她一般不吃辣的。(She generally doesn't eat spicy food.)

Don't Say

• 这个电影太一般好了！(Don't combine 一般 with positive intensifiers like 太...好了 — they contradict. Say 太好了 or just 一般.)

Origin & History

Compound of 一 (one/same) and 般 (kind/sort), literally 'of one kind,' meaning ordinary or undistinguished.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal