凑合

湊合

còuhe

verb HSK 7-9 #11,350

Meanings

1 to make do
2 passable
3 to manage with
4 so-so

Characters

to gather; to piece together

to combine; together

Literally 'piece together' — to make do with what you have

Examples

没有筷子，用叉子凑合一下吧。

Méiyǒu kuàizi, yòng chāzi còuhe yīxià ba.

There are no chopsticks; just make do with a fork.

这家餐厅还凑合，不算太差。

Zhèjiā cāntīng háicòuhe, búsuàn tài chà.

This restaurant is passable — not too bad.

Tips

usage

凑合 can be a verb ('to make do') or an adjective ('so-so/passable'). As an adjective, 还凑合 means 'it's okay, nothing special.' The second syllable is often pronounced lightly as 'he' (neutral tone).

Stroke Order

凑 còu

合 hé