一般 yī bān
“same; ordinary; so-so”
adjective, adverbial adjective, particleHSK 3 · 2021 list level 2
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
一般 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 922: 一般 yìbān — Level 3; official annotation 3 (形). PDF page 103
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 一般
一般 describes something as ordinary, average or nothing special, and it also means "in general". It goes before a noun (一般人) or after 很/不 as a comment on quality (很一般 "so-so"). The fixed phrase 一般来说 ("generally speaking") is very common at the start of a sentence.
例句Example sentences
- 这家饭馆的菜很一般，但是很便宜。zhè jiā fàn guǎn de cài hěn yì bān, dàn shì hěn pián yi.The food at this restaurant is so-so, but it's cheap.
- 一般来说，学生九月开学。yì bān lái shuō, xué sheng jiǔ yuè kāi xué.Generally speaking, students start school in September.
- 一般人不知道他的名字。yì bān rén bù zhī dao tā de míng zi.Ordinary people don't know his name.
易混词Easily confused
一般vs一样
一样 means "the same" (A 跟 B 一样); 一般 means "ordinary, general" and cannot replace 一样 in comparisons.