一丈差九尺

Chinese

		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	zhang (unit of measurement)	differ from; short of; to lack differ from; short of; to lack; poor; send; a messenger; a mission; to commission; uneven; difference; discrepancy; to differ; error; to err; to make a mistake	nine	a Chinese foot (M); one-third of a metre; a ruler a Chinese foot (M); one-third of a metre; a ruler; a note musical note on traditional Chinese scale
trad. (一丈差九尺)		一	丈	差	九	尺
simp. #(一丈差九尺)		一	丈	差	九	尺

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yīzhàngchājiǔchǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄓㄤˋ ㄔㄚ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄔˇ

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chi̍t tn̄g chha káu chhioh

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yīzhàngchājiǔchǐ [Phonetic: yízhàngchājiúchǐ]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄓㄤˋ ㄔㄚ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄔˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yijhàngchajiǒuchǐh
    • Wade–Giles: i¹-chang⁴-chʻa¹-chiu³-chʻih³
    • Yale: yī-jàng-chā-jyǒu-chř
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ijanqchajeouchyy
    • Palladius: ичжанчацзючи (ičžančaczjuči)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chi̍t tn̄g chha káu chhioh
    • Tâi-lô: tsi̍t tn̄g tsha káu tshioh
    • Phofsit Daibuun: cit dng zhaf kao chioiq
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² tŋ̍²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰa⁴⁴⁻²² kau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰioʔ³²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sit̚²⁴⁻² tŋ̍⁴¹⁻²² t͡sʰa³³ kau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ t͡sʰioʔ⁵/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sit̚¹²¹⁻²¹ tŋ̍²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰa⁴⁴⁻²² kau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰioʔ³²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² tŋ̍³³⁻¹¹ t͡sʰa⁴⁴⁻³³ kau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰioʔ³²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sit̚⁴⁻³² tŋ̍³³⁻²¹ t͡sʰa⁴⁴⁻³³ kau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰiɤʔ³²/

Idiom

一丈差九尺

1. (figurative) wide of the mark

References

• “一丈差九尺”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.