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二把刀

èrbǎdāo
idiom #62,017

Meanings

  1. 1 second-rate knife
  2. 2 a dabbler; a half-baked amateur
  3. 3 someone whose skills aren't up to scratch

Examples

我的厨艺不过是二把刀，别笑话。
Wǒ de chúyì bùguò shì èrbǎdāo, bié xiàohua.
My cooking's strictly amateur hour, so don't laugh.
请个二把刀装修，后患无穷。
Qǐng gè èrbǎdāo zhuāngxiū, hòuhuàn wúqióng.
Hire a half-baked contractor and you'll be paying for it forever.
别听他吹，他英语也就是二把刀。
Bié tīng tā chuī, tā Yīngyǔ yě jiùshì èrbǎdāo.
Don't fall for his bragging — his English is strictly second-rate.

Tips

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Colloquial Beijing slang, popular in northern Mandarin. Pops up in 老舍's novels. Often self-deprecating ('我这二把刀手艺') before it's ever an insult.

Stroke Order

二 èr
把 bǎ
刀 dāo