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不相上下

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: bù xiāng shàng xià
  • English Translation: On par with each other (neck and neck)
  • Idiom Composition: 「不」（Not (negation)）＋「相」（Mutually or each other）＋「上」（Above, superior, or higher）＋「下」（Below, inferior, or lower）
  • Meaning: A state where the level, strength, or quantity of two subjects are nearly identical, making it impossible to distinguish which is superior or inferior.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「不相上下」 contains the following nuances:

  • Absence of Superiority or Inferiority: Literally meaning 'no up and no down,' it indicates that there is no significant gap or distinction in quality between two entities.
  • Broad Applicability: It can be applied to anything that can be compared, including skills, quantities, degrees, status, or performance.
  • Neutral Evaluation: It is a factual statement of equality. It does not inherently carry a positive or negative tone, making it safer to use than idioms that imply 'equally bad' quality.

3. Usage

「不相上下」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Comparison of ability or skill: The most common usage, describing rivals in sports, exams, or professional skills who are evenly matched.
    • Example:「这两支球队的实力不相上下，很难预测谁会赢得冠军。」
      （The strength of these two teams is neck and neck, making it hard to predict who will win the championship.)
  • Comparison of quantity or degree: Used to objectively state that prices, temperatures, or technical specifications are nearly the same.
    • Example:「虽然品牌不同，但这两种电脑的性能和价格都不相上下。」
      （Although the brands are different, the performance and price of these two computers are about the same.)
  • Deadlocked arguments or competitions: Describes a situation where a debate or struggle continues without a clear winner.
    • Example:「关于这个方案，支持者和反对者争论得不相上下。」
      （Regarding this proposal, the supporters and opponents are equally matched in their debate.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 他和我的英语水平不相上下，都能流利地与外国人交流。
    （His English level and mine are on par with each other; we can both communicate fluently with foreigners.）
  2. 这次考试，全班同学的成绩都不相上下，竞争非常激烈。
    （In this exam, the grades of everyone in the class were evenly matched, and the competition was very intense.）
  3. 这两家餐厅的味道不相上下，去哪一家都可以。
    （The taste of these two restaurants is hard to tell apart, so you can go to either one.）
  4. 在古代，这两个国家的军事力量不相上下。
    （In ancient times, the military power of these two countries was roughly equal.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Distinction from similar expressions: A similar idiom is 半斤八两 (bàn jīn bā liǎng), which literally means 'half a pound and eight ounces.' However, 半斤八两 (bàn jīn bā liǎng) is often used negatively to mean 'six of one, half a dozen of the other' (implying both are equally mediocre). In contrast, 不相上下 (bù xiāng shàng xià) is neutral and can describe high-level excellence.
  • Historical Origin: This phrase appears in Tang Dynasty (唐朝) literature, such as the Supplement to the History of the Tang State (唐国史补), and has been used for centuries to discuss the relative merits of people and things.
  • Usage Frequency: This is a very common expression in modern Chinese, used in both formal writing and daily conversation. It is typically used in the structure 'A and B are 不相上下 (bù xiāng shàng xià).'

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

不相上下 (bù xiāng shàng xià) is a versatile idiom used to describe two things that are **equally matched**. Unlike some idioms that imply a negative comparison, this phrase is neutral and can be used for objective comparisons or even as a compliment. It literally means 'no above and no below,' indicating a lack of a gap between the two parties being compared.

Idiom Essay

bù xiāng shàng xià
不相上下
Equally Matched
wǒ men我们zǒng shì总是xí guàn习惯yú于bǎ把shì wù事物fàng放zài在yì qǐ一起bǐ jiào比较。

We are always accustomed to comparing things together.

shuí谁pǎo跑dé得gèng更kuài快？

Who runs faster?

nǎ哪jiā家cān tīng餐厅gèng更hǎo chī好吃？

Which restaurant is more delicious?

nǎ yí gè哪一个fāng àn方案gèng更wán měi完美？

Which plan is more perfect?

tōng cháng通常qíng kuàng情况xià下，bǐ jiào比较zǒng huì总会yǒu有yí gè一个jié guǒ结果：yí gè一个gāo高，yí gè一个dī低；yí gè一个yíng赢，yí gè一个shū输。

Usually, a comparison always yields a result: one high, one low; one winner, one loser.

dàn shì但是，shēng huó生活lǐ里hái yǒu还有yī zhǒng一种tè shū特殊de的qíng kuàng情况——dāng当nǐ你bǎ把liǎng gè两个rén人hé和liǎng jiàn两件shì事fàng放zài在tiān píng天平shàng上shí时，tiān píng天平jìng rán竟然wán quán完全bǎo chí保持píng héng平衡，wén sī bù dòng纹丝不动。

However, there is a special situation in life—when you place two people or two things on a scale, the scale remains perfectly balanced, not moving an inch.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种“fēn bù chū gāo dī分不出高低”de的zhuàng tài状态，jiào zuò叫做“bù xiāng shàng xià不相上下”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this state of being unable to distinguish between high and low, called 不相上下.

zhè ge这个cí词de的jié gòu结构fēi cháng非常zhí guān直观。

The structure of this word is very intuitive.

“shàng上”hé和“xià下”，dài biǎo代表le了gāo dī高低、yōu liè优劣huò zhě或者shèng fù胜负。

上 and 下 represent high and low, superior and inferior, or victory and defeat.

ér而“bù xiāng不相”，yì si意思shì是“hù xiāng互相zhī jiān之间méi yǒu没有……”。

And 不相 means there is no... between each other.

hé qǐ lái合起来lǐ jiě理解，jiù shì就是：zhè这yī fāng一方méi yǒu没有bǐ比nà那yī fāng一方gāo高，nà那yī fāng一方yě也méi yǒu没有bǐ比zhè这yī fāng一方dī低。

Understood together, it means: this side is not higher than that side, and that side is not lower than this side.

liǎng zhě两者chǔ yú处于tóng yī同一shuǐ píng xiàn水平线shàng上。

Both are on the same level.

wǒ men我们zài在shén me shí hòu什么时候zuì最xiǎng想yòng用zhè ge这个cí词ne呢？

When do we most want to use this word?

wǎng wǎng往往shì是zài在miàn duì面对“jī liè激烈de的jìng zhēng竞争”huò zhě或者“jiān nán艰难de的xuǎn zé选择”shí时。

Often when facing intense competition or a difficult choice.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，nǐ你zhèng zài正在kàn看yī cháng一场jīng cǎi精彩de的pīng pāng qiú乒乓球bǐ sài比赛。

Imagine you are watching an exciting table tennis match.

zuǒ biān左边de的xuǎn shǒu选手gāng刚ná拿yī fēn一分，yòu biān右边de的xuǎn shǒu选手lì kè立刻jiù就zhuī huí追回yī fēn一分。

The player on the left just scored a point, and the player on the right immediately catches up.

bǐ sài比赛dǎ打le了hěn很jiǔ久，liǎng gè两个rén人dōu都mǎn tóu dà hán满头大汗，dàn但fēn shù分数yī rán依然jǐn jǐn紧紧yǎo咬zài在yì qǐ一起。

The match has gone on for a long time, both are sweating profusely, but the scores remain tightly locked.

zhè ge这个shí hòu时候，nǐ你hěn nán shuō很难说shuí谁yí dìng一定huì会yíng赢。

At this time, it is hard for you to say who will definitely win.

zhè zhǒng这种jǐn zhāng紧张yòu又jiāo zhuó胶着de的zhuàng tài状态，jiù shì就是“bù xiāng shàng xià不相上下”。

This tense and deadlocked state is 不相上下.

huò zhě或者，nǐ你xiǎng想mǎi买yī tái一台xīn新diàn nǎo电脑，kàn看le了liǎng gè两个bù tóng不同de的pǐn pái品牌。

Or, you want to buy a new computer and look at two different brands.

yí gè一个píng mù屏幕gèng更hǎo好，lìng yí gè另一个yùn xíng运行sù dù速度gèng更kuài快。

One has a better screen, the other has a faster operating speed.

suī rán虽然tā men它们de的yōu diǎn优点bù tóng不同，dàn但zōng hé综合lái来kàn看，nǐ你jué de觉得tā men它们tóng yàng同样yōu xiù优秀，ràng让nǐ你hěn很nán难zuò做jué dìng决定。

Although their advantages are different, overall, you feel they are equally excellent, making it hard for you to decide.

zhè这yě也shì是yī zhǒng一种“bù xiāng shàng xià不相上下”。

This is also a kind of 不相上下.

zhí de值得zhù yì注意de的shì是，dāng当wǒ men我们shuō说duì shǒu对手“bù xiāng shàng xià不相上下”shí时，zhè这qí shí其实shì是yī zhǒng一种hěn很gāo高de的zàn měi赞美。

It is worth noting that when we say opponents are 不相上下, it is actually a high compliment.

yīn wèi因为zhè这yì wèi zhe意味着，nǐ你yù dào遇到le了yí gè一个zhēn zhèng真正de的duì shǒu对手。

Because it means you have met a true opponent.

tā它bú shì不是dān fāng miàn单方面de的niǎn yā碾压，ér shì而是yī cháng一场shì jūn lì dí势均力敌de的jiào liàng较量。

It is not a one-sided crush, but a well-matched contest.

zài在zhè zhǒng这种guān xì关系lǐ里，méi yǒu没有ruò zhě弱者。

In this relationship, there are no weaklings.

suǒ yǐ所以，“bù xiāng shàng xià不相上下”miáo shù描述de的bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是“chà bu duō差不多”huò zhě或者shì是“yī yàng一样”，tā它gèng duō更多de的shì是zài在miáo shù描述yī zhǒng一种zhāng lì张力。

Therefore, 不相上下 describes not just being similar or the same, but more of a kind of tension.

tā它gào sù告诉wǒ men我们：yǎn qián眼前de的zhè这liǎng gè两个duì xiàng对象，dōu都yǒu有zú gòu足够de的shí lì实力，shuí谁yě也wú fǎ无法qīng yì轻易dì地yā dǎo压倒shuí谁。

It tells us: these two objects before us both have enough strength, and neither can easily overwhelm the other.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到liǎng zhī两支qí gǔ xiāng dāng旗鼓相当de的duì wǔ队伍，huò zhě或者miàn duì面对liǎng gè两个tóng yàng同样yòu rén诱人de的xuǎn zé选择shí时，bù fáng不妨yòng用“bù xiāng shàng xià不相上下”lái来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种gǎn jué感觉。

Next time, when you see two evenly matched teams or face two equally tempting choices, you might use 不相上下 to describe that feeling.

bì jìng毕竟，zài在zhè ge这个chōng mǎn充满shèng fù胜负de的shì jiè世界lǐ里，néng gòu能够yù dào遇到zhēn zhèng真正de的“shì jūn lì dí势均力敌”，běn shēn本身jiù shì就是yī jiàn一件hěn很jīng cǎi精彩de的shì qíng事情。

After all, in this world full of wins and losses, being able to encounter a true match is a wonderful thing in itself.

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