区别 qū bié
“difference; to distinguish; to discriminate”
noun, verbHSK 4 · 2021 list level 3Traditional 區別Measure word 个
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
区别 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1594: 区别 qūbié — Level 4; official annotation 4 (动、名). PDF page 119
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 区别
区别 means "difference" — the clear gap or distinction between two things. It is most often used as a noun in the pattern A 和 B 的区别 or 有什么区别？, and it can also be used as a verb meaning "to tell apart, to distinguish."
例句Example sentences
- 这两个词有什么区别？zhè liǎng gè cí yǒu shén me qū bié?What's the difference between these two words?
- 我看不出这两张照片的区别。wǒ kàn bù chū zhè liǎng zhāng zhào piàn de qū bié.I can't see the difference between these two photos.
- 这两种颜色区别不大。zhè liǎng zhǒng yán sè qū bié bú dà.There isn't much difference between these two colors.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗这两个词有区别什么？
✓这两个词有什么区别？
In Chinese the question word 什么 comes before the noun it asks about, giving 有什么区别.