<p>I think Tang Ho already gave a good answer, so I'll just add a bit of extra info on top of that. From my experiences, I hear 一般 the most often:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我觉得这餐厅一般吧。</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>普普通通</strong> I've literally never heard used in real life, so I can't comment on that. </p>

<p>As for <strong>马马虎虎</strong>, I think it has more of an inclination towards "doing things carelessly", to "not be detail oriented", rather than "so so", but others might want to pipe in for this. </p>

<p>Hope this helps. :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-07T02:12:55.000Z
2017-07-07T02:12:55.000Z
Baggio Wong
<p>麻麻地 (Cantonese)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>麻麻地 <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/1503/" rel="noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/1503/</a></p>
  
  <p><strong>so-so</strong>; <strong>not too good, not too bad</strong>; ho-hum; middling.</p>
  
  <p>Example: 佢嘅英文<strong>麻麻地</strong> (his English is just <strong>so-so</strong>)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>普通/ 普普通通</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>普通 <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/2782/" rel="noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/2782/</a></p>
  
  <p><strong>ordinary</strong>; general; <strong>average</strong>; standard; common</p>
  
  <p>Example:他的英文程度算是<strong>普普通通</strong> (his English level is considered <strong>average</strong>)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>一般 </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>一般 <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/1495/" rel="noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/1495/</a></p>
  
  <p>[1] <strong>ordinary</strong>; common; general</p>
  
  <p>Example:他的英文程度<strong>一般</strong> (his English level is just <strong>average</strong>)</p>
</blockquote>

<ul>
<li>The term '麻麻' came from '馬馬虎虎'</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
  <p>馬馬虎虎 <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/41049/" rel="noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/41049/</a></p>
  
  <p>careless; casual; <strong>just passable</strong>; <strong>so-so</strong></p>
  
  <p>Example: 他的英文只是<strong>馬馬虎虎的</strong>程度 (his English is only at a <strong>so-so</strong> level)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-26T13:09:01.473Z
马马虎虎 is the one that my Chinese teacher taught me. Which of these would you say is most widely used in Mandarin?
Obsidian Phoenix
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-26T13:36:57.127Z
一般 is more formal and literal; 普普通通 is more casual and colloquial; 馬馬虎虎 is more idiomatic.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-10T11:19:01.843Z
Another way to say so-so is 一般般, which sounds more informal.
Harry Summer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-26T05:59:23.887Z
2017-06-26T13:38:36.117Z
2017-06-26T13:38:36.117Z
Tang Ho
<p>How do you say "so-so" in Mandarin? In Cantonese, you would say 麻麻地. What's the Mandarin equivalent of 麻麻地?</p>

<translation><mandarin><cantonese>
What is the Mandarin equivalent of Cantonese's 麻麻地 (so-so)?
# What is the Mandarin equivalent of Cantonese's 麻麻地 (so-so)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-06-26)

How do you say "so-so" in Mandarin? In Cantonese, you would say 麻麻地. What's the Mandarin equivalent of 麻麻地?

**Tags:** translation, mandarin, cantonese


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-06-26. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

麻麻地 (Cantonese)

> 麻麻地 <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/1503/>
>
> **so-so**; **not too good, not too bad**; ho-hum; middling.
>
> Example: 佢嘅英文**麻麻地** (his English is just **so-so**)

普通/ 普普通通

> 普通 <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/2782/>
>
> **ordinary**; general; **average**; standard; common
>
> Example:他的英文程度算是**普普通通** (his English level is considered **average**)

一般

> 一般 <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/1495/>
>
> [1] **ordinary**; common; general
>
> Example:他的英文程度**一般** (his English level is just **average**)

* The term '麻麻' came from '馬馬虎虎'

> 馬馬虎虎 <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/41049/>
>
> careless; casual; **just passable**; **so-so**
>
> Example: 他的英文只是**馬馬虎虎的**程度 (his English is only at a **so-so** level)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: 马马虎虎 is the one that my Chinese teacher taught me. Which of these would you say is most widely used in Mandarin?  
> **username_2**: 一般 is more formal and literal; 普普通通 is more casual and colloquial; 馬馬虎虎 is more idiomatic.  
> **username_4**: Another way to say so-so is 一般般, which sounds more informal.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2017-07-07. Score: 2

I think username_2 Ho already gave a good answer, so I'll just add a bit of extra info on top of that. From my experiences, I hear 一般 the most often:

> 我觉得这餐厅一般吧。

**普普通通** I've literally never heard used in real life, so I can't comment on that.

As for **马马虎虎**, I think it has more of an inclination towards "doing things carelessly", to "not be detail oriented", rather than "so so", but others might want to pipe in for this.

Hope this helps. :)


---

