loeng4 jau5 bat1 cai4良莠不齊良莠不齐
Jyutpingloeng4 jau5 bat1 cai4
Yalelèuhng yáuh bāt chàih
Definition
Uneven in quality; a mix of good and bad elements.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
This is a formal idiom that is often used in professional or analytical contexts to describe a group where the quality is inconsistent. While it is perfectly acceptable in spoken Cantonese, it carries a slightly academic or literary tone compared to more casual expressions like 參差. It is frequently used when discussing organizations, groups of people, or the quality of goods and services.
Examples
The people in this company are of mixed quality, it's hard to manage.
Online information is of mixed quality, you need to be careful when reading it.
Related words
Common phrases
quality is of mixed standards
levels are inconsistent
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this to describe a single person or object, but it must describe a group or a collection of things that vary in quality. It is not suitable for describing a single item that is simply bad.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
