<p>In your case, you can say 这道菜马马虎虎.  Similar use 这台电视马马虎虎。</p>
<p>It can also be used adverbally.  E. g.  他歌唱得马马虎虎。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-25T04:36:32.240Z
2021-05-25T04:36:32.240Z
dan
<ol>
<li><p>To express a mediocre taste, I think it's better to say</p>
<blockquote>
<p>這道菜［很普通/平淡無奇］。</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
<li><p><code>馬虎</code> is generally used when we wish to comment on someone’s attitude. It may be used when you wish to criticise someone’s <em>preparation</em> of the dish as sloppy:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>這道菜做得馬馬虎虎。<br>
(lit.) This dish is done in a sloppy manner.</p>
</blockquote>
</li>
<li><p>The sense 'so-so' (<code>還過得去</code> in <em>Cihai</em>'s definition), as in</p>
<blockquote>
<p>這道菜，馬馬虎虎吧。<br>
(lit.) This dish, it's so-so.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>, is very colloquial, perhaps regional. It is found in <a href="http://www.hydcd.com/cd/htm10/ci181554o.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Cihai</em></a> but not in <a href="https://pedia.cloud.edu.tw/Entry/Detail?title=%E9%A6%AC%E9%A6%AC%E8%99%8E%E8%99%8E&amp;search=%E9%A6%AC%E9%A6%AC%E8%99%8E%E8%99%8E&amp;order=keyword_title" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Taiwan dictionaries</a>.</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-25T02:37:36.397Z
2021-05-25T04:33:10.017Z
2021-05-25T04:33:10.017Z
L Parker
<p>In what kinds of sentences can &quot;马马虎虎&quot; be used? Would I be able to use it to describe how good food tastes, and if so, how would I structure the sentence? Is it usually used by itself as a sentence? I'm never sure if the context is right to use it or not.
I want to describe a food as tasting mediocre.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-25T02:57:21.650Z
Check https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/25522/how-did-%e9%a9%ac%e9%a9%ac%e8%99%8e%e8%99%8e-come-to-mean-so-so also this https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/24249/what-is-the-mandarin-equivalent-of-cantoneses-%e9%ba%bb%e9%ba%bb%e5%9c%b0-so-so
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-25T03:18:20.970Z
Similar to the French expression -- Comme ci comme ça  -- Neither good nor bad; so so; tolerable, passable, indifferent.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-25T03:23:49.650Z
Here's a YouTube explanation --https://youtu.be/onlhbVasE94
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-25T17:14:31.913Z
Yes, it can be used with anything that is under expectation. It means "so, so" in English.
r13
<word-choice><food><adjectives><word-order>
Can I use 马马虎虎 to describe food, and in what sorts of sentences can I use it?
# Can I use 马马虎虎 to describe food, and in what sorts of sentences can I use it?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-05-25)

In what kinds of sentences can "马马虎虎" be used? Would I be able to use it to describe how good food tastes, and if so, how would I structure the sentence? Is it usually used by itself as a sentence? I'm never sure if the context is right to use it or not.
I want to describe a food as tasting mediocre.

**Tags:** word-choice, food, adjectives, word-order

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Check https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/25522/how-did-%e9%a9%ac%e9%a9%ac%e8%99%8e%e8%99%8e-come-to-mean-so-so also this https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/24249/what-is-the-mandarin-equivalent-of-cantoneses-%e9%ba%bb%e9%ba%bb%e5%9c%b0-so-so  
> **username_2**: Similar to the French expression -- Comme ci comme ça  -- Neither good nor bad; so so; tolerable, passable, indifferent.  
> **username_2**: Here's a YouTube explanation --https://youtu.be/onlhbVasE94  
> **username_3**: Yes, it can be used with anything that is under expectation. It means "so, so" in English.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-05-25. Score: 2

In your case, you can say 这道菜马马虎虎. Similar use 这台电视马马虎虎。

It can also be used adverbally. E. g. 他歌唱得马马虎虎。


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### Answer by username_5 on 2021-05-25. Score: 2

1. To express a mediocre taste, I think it's better to say

   > 這道菜［很普通/平淡無奇］。
2. `馬虎` is generally used when we wish to comment on someone’s attitude. It may be used when you wish to criticise someone’s *preparation* of the dish as sloppy:

   > 這道菜做得馬馬虎虎。  
   > (lit.) This dish is done in a sloppy manner.
3. The sense 'so-so' (`還過得去` in *Cihai*'s definition), as in

   > 這道菜，馬馬虎虎吧。  
   > (lit.) This dish, it's so-so.

   , is very colloquial, perhaps regional. It is found in [*Cihai*](http://www.hydcd.com/cd/htm10/ci181554o.htm) but not in [Taiwan dictionaries](https://pedia.cloud.edu.tw/Entry/Detail?title=%E9%A6%AC%E9%A6%AC%E8%99%8E%E8%99%8E&search=%E9%A6%AC%E9%A6%AC%E8%99%8E%E8%99%8E&order=keyword_title).


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