How do you pronounce 马马虎虎?

马马虎虎 is pronounced as "mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ" in Mandarin Chinese.

马马虎虎

Q: What does 马马虎虎 mean?

马马虎虎 (mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ) literally means "Horse horse tiger tiger" and metaphorically means "Just so-so or passable quality". It belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 马马虎虎 used?

马马虎虎 is used when His performance in the presentation was just passable, neither impressive nor terrible.

马马虎虎 (mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ) literally means “horse horse tiger tiger” and expresses “just so-so or passable quality”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.

Also searched as: ma ma hu hu, ma ma hu hu,马马虎虎 meaning, 马马虎虎 in english

Just so-so or passable quality

Pronunciation: mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ Literal meaning: Horse horse tiger tiger

Origin & Usage

This moderate assessment idiom, literally 'horse (马) horse tiger (虎) tiger,' emerged from a folk tale about a careless artist whose painting was neither clearly a horse nor a tiger. During the Qing Dynasty, it appeared in vernacular literature describing casual or imprecise work. The repeating animals - both powerful creatures in Chinese culture - create an ironic contrast where their combination produces mediocrity rather than excellence. Modern usage describes acceptable but unmemorable performance across various contexts, expressing a particularly Chinese cultural tolerance for the passable middle ground.

Examples

English: "His performance in the presentation was just passable, neither impressive nor terrible"

Chinese: 他在演讲中的表现只是马马虎虎，既不出色也不糟糕

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about wisdom & learning

融会贯通

róng huì guàn tōng

Master something completely

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学海无涯

xué hǎi wú yá

Learning is limitless

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知行合一

zhī xíng hé yī

Practice what you know

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举一反三

jǔ yī fǎn sān

Learn many from one example

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温故知新

wēn gù zhī xīn

Learn new through studying old

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画龙点睛

huà lóng diǎn jīng

Add crucial finishing touch

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读万卷书

dú wàn juǎn shū

Read extensively for knowledge

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抛砖引玉

pāo zhuān yǐn yù

Offer modest view to inspire better

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 马马虎虎 mean in English?

马马虎虎 (mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ) literally translates to “Horse horse tiger tiger” and is used to express “Just so-so or passable quality”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.