Usage of the character 差

different
wrong; mistaken
to fall short; to lack
not up to standard; inferior
Taiwan pr. (chā)

cī

差

[差]

used in 參差／参差 (cēnci)

chā

差

[差]

difference; discrepancy
(math.) difference (amount remaining after a subtraction)
(literary) a little; somewhat; slightly

chāi

差

[差]

to send (on an errand)
(archaic) person sent on such an errand
job; official post

piānchā

偏差

[偏差]

bias
deviation

chājù

差距

[差距]

disparity
gap

féichāi

肥差

[肥差]

lucrative job
cushy job

chāyì

差异

[差異]

difference; discrepancy

jíchā

级差

[級差]

differential (between grades)
salary differential

bùchà

不差

[不差]

not bad
OK

chàyuǎn

差远

[差遠]

inferior
not up to par
to fall far short
to be mistaken

jiàochā

较差

[較差]

range (the difference between the lowest and highest values)

chāiyì

差役

[差役]

forced labor of feudal tenant (corvée)
bailiff of feudal yamen

chāfēn

差分

[差分]

(math.) increment
difference
(engineering) differential

wùchā

误差

[誤差]

difference
error
inaccuracy

chàpíng

差评

[差評]

poor evaluation
adverse criticism

jiāochāi

交差

[交差]

to report back after completion of one's mission

luòchā

落差

[落差]

drop in elevation
(fig.) gap (in wages, expectations etc)
disparity

gēnchāi

跟差

[跟差]

attendant

chāipài

差派

[差派]

to dispatch

chāwù

差误

[差誤]

mistake

huìchā

汇差

[匯差]

difference in exchange rates in different regions

fǎnchā

反差

[反差]

contrast; discrepancy

chābié

差别

[差別]

difference; distinction; disparity

shìchā

视差

[視差]

parallax

chāshī

差失

[差失]

mistake
slip-up

chā'é

差讹

[差訛]

error
mistake

bīngchāi

兵差

[兵差]

labor conscripted to support the military

chāishǐ

差使

[差使]

to send
to assign
to appoint
servants of an official
official messenger

jíchā

极差

[極差]

range (of a set of data) (statistics)

nìchā

逆差

[逆差]

adverse trade balance
trade deficit

měichāi

美差

[美差]

cushy job; pleasant task

chāchí

差池

[差池]

mistake
error
mishap

chāishi

差事

[差事]

errand
assignment
job
commission
CL:件 (jiàn)
see also 差使 (chāishi)

zhǒngchā

种差

[種差]

determinant (characteristic of a species)

chàjìn

差劲

[差勁]

bad
no good
below average
disappointing

chāshù

差数

[差數]

difference (the result of subtraction)

shùnchā

顺差

[順差]

(trade or budget) surplus

qiúchā

球差

[球差]

spherical aberration (optics)

bùchā

不差

[不差]

to not lack

gōngchāi

公差

[公差]

official errand
bailiff in a yamen

xìnchāi

信差

[信差]

messenger

jiānchāi

兼差

[兼差]

to moonlight
side job

chūchāi

出差

[出差]

to go on an official or business trip

chāishi

差使

[差使]

official post
billet
commission
CL:件 (jiàn)
see also 差事 (chāishi)

xiāngchà

相差

[相差]

to differ

jiàochà

较差

[較差]

mediocre
rather poor
not specially good

chāshāng

差商

[差商]

(math.) difference quotient
(math.) divided difference
(math.) finite difference

suìchā

岁差

[歲差]

(astronomy) precession

guānchāi

官差

[官差]

official business
government workmen
odd-job men

chācuò

差错

[差錯]

mistake; slip-up; fault; error
accident; mishap

děngchā

等差

[等差]

degree of disparity
equal difference

chā'é

差额

[差額]

balance (financial)
discrepancy (in a sum or quota)
difference

chàshì

差事

[差事]

poor
not up to standard

fāngchā

方差

[方差]

variance (statistics)

jūnchā

均差

[均差]

(numerical analysis) divided differences
(statistics) mean absolute difference

chājià

差价

[差價]

difference in price

qīnchāi

钦差

[欽差]

imperial envoy

chāiqiǎn

差遣

[差遣]

to send (on errand)

zhuǎnchā

转差

[轉差]

to slip (e.g. of clutch)
slippage
also used of economic indicators, statistical discrepancies etc

yóuchāi

邮差

[郵差]

(old) postman

wàichā

外差

[外差]

heterodyne (electronics)

jiàchā

价差

[價差]

price difference

cēncī

参差

[參差]

uneven; jagged; snaggletooth; ragged; serrated

chāchí

差迟

[差遲]

variant of 差池 (chāchí)

gōngchā

公差

[公差]

tolerance (allowed error)
common difference (of an arithmetic series)

zhīchāi

支差

[支差]

to assign corvée duties (forced labor)

xiàngchā

像差

[像差]

(optics) aberration

chàmiù

差谬

[差謬]

error

chàshēng

差生

[差生]

weak student

shíchā

时差

[時差]

time difference
time lag
jet lag

wēnchā

温差

[溫差]

difference in temperature

chàdiǎn

差点

[差點]

almost
nearly

kǔchāi

苦差

[苦差]

hard task
difficult mission
arduous and unrewarding undertaking
drudgery
grind
chore

dǎoshíchā

倒时差

[倒時差]

to adjust to a different time zone

jiǎndāochā

剪刀差

[剪刀差]

prices scissor (caught between low income and high prices)

chāsùqì

差速器

[差速器]

differential (gear)

zāngluànchà

脏乱差

[髒亂差]

(coll.) squalid
squalor

niánjiàochā

年较差

[年較差]

annual range (temperature, humidity etc)

xiéfāngchā

协方差

[協方差]

(statistics) covariance

chàyīdiǎn

差一点

[差一點]

see 差點／差点 (chàdiǎn)

chūdàchāi

出大差

[出大差]

lit. to go on a long trip
fig. to be sent to the execution ground

zhuǎnchālü

转差率

[轉差率]

slippage rate

píngjūnchā

平均差

[平均差]

(math.) mean deviation

shìlāchā

是拉差

[是拉差]

sriracha (loanword)

chàdéduō

差得多

[差得多]

fall short by a large amount

xiàngwèichā

相位差

[相位差]

phase difference

miǎochājù

秒差距

[秒差距]

parsec (astronomy)

dānjiānchā

单间差

[單間差]

single supplement (for a hotel room)

sùzhìchà

素质差

[素質差]

so uneducated!
so ignorant!

chàbuduō

差不多

[差不多]

almost
nearly
more or less
about the same
good enough
not bad

kāixiǎochāi

开小差

[開小差]

to be absent-minded
to desert
to abscond from the army
absent without leave (AWOL)

biāozhǔnchā

标准差

[標準差]

(statistics) standard deviation

kǔchāishi

苦差事

[苦差事]

see 苦差 (kǔchāi)

dānfángchā

单房差

[單房差]

single supplement (for a hotel room)

rìjiàochā

日较差

[日較差]

diurnal range (temperature, humidity etc)

chàbùlí

差不离

[差不離]

not much different
similar
ordinary
nearly

chāyìxìng

差异性

[差異性]

difference

měichāishì

美差事

[美差事]

a terrific job

chàdiǎnr

差点儿

[差點兒]

erhua variant of 差點／差点 (chàdiǎn)

chàdiǎnméi

差点没

[差點沒]

almost
nearly
(i.e. same as 差點／差点 (chàdiǎn))

chāilüfèi

差旅费

[差旅費]

business travel expenses

cēncībùqí

参差不齐

[參差不齊]

(idiom) variable
uneven
irregular

xiāngchàbuduō

相差不多

[相差不多]

not much difference

gésānchàwǔ

隔三差五

[隔三差五]

every few days (idiom)

chàbùlír

差不离儿

[差不離兒]

erhua variant of 差不離／差不离 (chàbùlí)

shénchāiguǐshǐ

神差鬼使

[神差鬼使]

the work of gods and devils (idiom); unexplained event crying out for a supernatural explanation
curious coincidence

yīniànzhīchā

一念之差

[一念之差]

momentary slip
false step
ill-considered action

chàbuduōde

差不多的

[差不多的]

the great majority

chāqiángrényì

差强人意

[差強人意]

(idiom) just passable
barely satisfactory

tiānchādìyuǎn

天差地远

[天差地遠]

poles apart (idiom)
entirely different

qiānchāwànbié

千差万别

[千差萬別]

(idiom) extremely diverse
to vary greatly

dìqūchājià

地区差价

[地區差價]

local differences in price
regional price variation

yīzìbùchā

一字不差

[一字不差]

word for word; verbatim

màoyìnìchā

贸易逆差

[貿易逆差]

trade deficit
adverse trade balance

méiyǒuchābié

没有差别

[沒有差別]

there is no difference
it makes no difference

chāfēnfāngchéng

差分方程

[差分方程]

difference equation (math.)

chéngxiāojiàchā

承销价差

[承銷價差]

underwriting spread

pínfùchājù

贫富差距

[貧富差距]

disparity between rich and poor

chéngxiāolìchā

承销利差

[承銷利差]

underwriting spread

chàyīdiǎnr

差一点儿

[差一點兒]

erhua variant of 差一點／差一点 (chàyīdiǎn)

chādòngchǐlún

差动齿轮

[差動齒輪]

differential gear

děngchāshùliè

等差数列

[等差數列]

arithmetic progression

tiānchādìbié

天差地别

[天差地別]

(idiom) poles apart; as different as can be

piānchājùlí

偏差距离

[偏差距離]

offset distance

chā'éxuǎnjǔ

差额选举

[差額選舉]

competitive election (i.e. with more candidates than seats)

guǐshǐshénchāi

鬼使神差

[鬼使神差]

demons and gods at work (idiom); unexplained event crying out for a supernatural explanation
curious coincidence

jièfāngchā'é

借方差额

[借方差額]

debit balance (accountancy)

sīháobùchā

丝毫不差

[絲毫不差]

accurate to perfection (idiom)
precise to the finest detail

màoyìshùnchā

贸易顺差

[貿易順差]

trade surplus

fēnháozhīchā

分毫之差

[分毫之差]

hairsbreadth difference

zǔchāibàngōng

阻差办公

[阻差辦公]

(law) obstructing government administration (Hong Kong)

liǎngxìngchājù

两性差距

[兩性差距]

disparity between the sexes

yīnchāyángcuò

阴差阳错

[陰差陽錯]

(idiom) due to an unexpected turn of events

cēncīcuòluò

参差错落

[參差錯落]

uneven and jumbled (idiom); irregular and disorderly
in a tangled mess

yīncuòyángchā

阴错阳差

[陰錯陽差]

(idiom) due to an unexpected turn of events

děngchājíshù

等差级数

[等差級數]

arithmetic series (such as 2+4+6+8+...)

hǎiyángwēnchāfādiàn

海洋温差发电

[海洋溫差發電]

ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

chāzhīháolí,shīzhīqiānlǐ

差之毫厘，失之千里

[差之毫釐，失之千里]

the slightest difference leads to a huge loss (idiom)
a miss is as good as a mile

shīzhīháolí,chàzhīqiānlǐ

失之毫厘，差之千里

[失之毫釐，差之千里]

a tiny lapse can lead to a huge mistake (idiom); a minor discrepancy leading to enormous losses

shīzhīháolí,chàyǐqiānlǐ

失之毫厘，差以千里

[失之毫釐，差以千里]

a tiny lapse can lead to a huge mistake (idiom); a minor discrepancy leading to enormous losses

chāzhīháolí,miùyǐqiānlǐ

差之毫厘，谬以千里

[差之毫釐，謬以千里]

the slightest difference leads to a huge error (idiom)
a miss is as good as a mile