Definition
差别 (chābié) is a general, neutral noun for 'difference' between things, such as age, price, or lifestyle. It is more everyday than 差异 (chāyì, HSK6), which tends to be formal and used for systematic or inherent differences (e.g., cultural differences). Compared to 区别 (qūbié, HSK4), which often focuses on distinguishing between two specific items, 差别 is broader and can describe any kind of disparity.
noun
differencedistinctiondisparity
Examples
- 差别。Zhè liǎng gè chéngshì de shēnghuó chā bié hěn dà.There's a big difference in lifestyle between these two cities.
- 差别，。Tāmen niánlíng chā bié bú dà, dàn xìnggé wánquán bù tóng.Their age difference isn't big, but their personalities are completely different.
- 差别？Nǐ néng kàn chū zhè liǎng zhāng zhàopiàn de chā bié ma?Can you see the difference between these two photos?
Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.