Chinese idiom · 成语
半斤八两
Meaning
Half a jin equals eight liang; much the same, often equally lacking.
Character by character
Origin and story
ProverbThe comparison relies on the traditional weight system in which one jin contained sixteen liang. Half a jin therefore equaled eight liang exactly. It is not based on modern decimal divisions, and translating jin and liang as an English pound and ounce can obscure the Chinese convention.
The saying is already attested in the early play Zhang Xie Zhuangyuan, scene 28, where disputants are called equally matched. This establishes an early literary use without identifying who first coined the proverb. Today it often says that two people or things are equally unimpressive, rather than praising both.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
我们俩做饭都半斤八两，还是一起看食谱吧。
We're about equally bad at cooking, so let's follow a recipe together.
Often mildly teasing or critical; not automatically a compliment about equal excellence.