四平八稳

四平八穩

sìpíngbāwěn

idiom #58,161

Meanings

1 steady and well-balanced
2 overcautious and unimaginative

Characters

Examples

他做事四平八稳，很少出错。

Tā zuòshì sì píng bā wěn, hěn shǎo chūcuò.

He does things steadily and rarely makes mistakes.

这篇文章四平八稳，缺乏新意。

Zhè piān wénzhāng sì píng bā wěn, quēfá xīnyì.

This article is safe and balanced but lacks originality.

Tips

usage

Ambiguous tone: praise for reliability, criticism for blandness. Context and speaker attitude determine which is meant.

Stroke Order

四 sì

平 píng

八 bā

稳 wěn