<p>First of all, “八九不离十” is very very informal. Even as a native speaker of Mandarin, I seldom use it. You should be careful when you want to use this phrase.</p>
<p>Secondly, Your example sentence “汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了。” sounds very strange to me. I doubt a native speaker (at least in central mainland China) will use “八九不离十” in this way.</p>
<p>“八九不离十” means “相差无几” &quot;差不多&quot;，&quot;very close to the fact but not exactly the fact&quot;</p>
<blockquote>
<p>你猜的八九不离十。 (Nǐ cāi de bā jiǔ bù lí shí.)<br />
Your guess is pretty close.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Update: An analysis of “八九不离十”</p>
<p>“八” = number 8 “九” = number 9 “不” = not “离” = &quot;far away from&quot; “十” = number 10</p>
<p>Literally, “八九不离十” means &quot;number 8 and 9 are not far from number 10&quot;, &quot;number 8 and 9 are pretty close to number 10&quot;, so it is used to mean &quot;very close to the fact but not exactly the fact&quot;.</p>

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2021-01-11T14:24:00.627Z
2021-01-13T04:09:12.767Z
2021-01-13T04:09:12.767Z
J.Joe
<p>I’m not sure that the term is used correctly in “汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了”. According to the dictionary, “八九不离十” means “nearly approaching the <strong>fact</strong>”, and using “fact” to describe exam results is not appropriate, so the sentence makes sense but isn’t grammatically right.</p>
<p>Here’s an example that the term is correctly used:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他猜得不对，但是八九不离十了。<br />
He guessed wrong, but is almost there.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-11T14:12:34.360Z
2021-01-11T14:12:34.360Z
Leonel Hou
<p>For simple, replace it with <code>差不多</code>. But the point is:<br />
To understand what <strong>object/target</strong> is close to, or what <code>十</code> (the object) represents in the sentence.</p>
<p><code>这电影不好看，跟我之前想的八九不离十（差不多）</code><br />
<code>十</code> represents <code>不好看(boring)</code><br />
The movie is boring anyway.</p>
<p><code>这次考试结果，她能猜个八九不离十（差不多）</code><br />
<code>十</code> represents <code>考试结果(score)</code><br />
She guessed a close number.</p>
<p><code>汤姆说考试八九不离十（差不多）就可以了</code><br />
Tom can accept an average score.<br />
So the trick is, <code>十</code> represents <code>通过(passed)</code> in the sentence, NOT <code>Excellent(A+)</code></p>
<p>Remember <code>十</code> is just an object, NOT a number, NOT ten out of ten, and Tom just wanna pass the exam.</p>

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2021-01-12T01:07:09.977Z
2021-01-12T01:15:15.257Z
2021-01-12T01:15:15.257Z
Shaw
<p><code>八九不離十</code> means <code>almost there and I accept it</code> or <code>pretty close and I accept it</code>, the most important thing is <code>and I accept it</code>. The ten may be perfect but if nine or eight are still fine.</p>
<p>“汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了。” means Tom doesn't chasing for perfect in test.</p>

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2021-01-15T19:11:40.353Z
It is not a common usage of the idiom, but this answer is the closest to my understanding. "Not perfect" is the key.
River
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-18T05:46:19.230Z
yeah my mandarin textbook is inaccurate and outdated.
Redwood
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2021-01-11T07:29:42.670Z
2021-01-11T07:29:42.670Z
Tyr
<p>My textbooks says  八九不离十 means pretty close and that makes sense to me, but the way they use it makes me lose my head.</p>
<p>“汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了。” I think they are trying to say &quot; 80/90% is close enough&quot;, but the way they use it doesn't make sense to me at all. What is a better sentence that includes 八九不离十 in it? If it makes sense, could you explain why?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-11T14:27:45.813Z
You are right.   “汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了。” makes little sense to a native speaker either.
J.Joe
<word>
I have no idea how 八九不离十 works?
# I have no idea how 八九不离十 works?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-11)

My textbooks says 八九不离十 means pretty close and that makes sense to me, but the way they use it makes me lose my head.

“汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了。” I think they are trying to say " 80/90% is close enough", but the way they use it doesn't make sense to me at all. What is a better sentence that includes 八九不离十 in it? If it makes sense, could you explain why?

**Tags:** word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You are right.   “汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了。” makes little sense to a native speaker either.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-01-11. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

`八九不離十` means `almost there and I accept it` or `pretty close and I accept it`, the most important thing is `and I accept it`. The ten may be perfect but if nine or eight are still fine.

“汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了。” means Tom doesn't chasing for perfect in test.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: It is not a common usage of the idiom, but this answer is the closest to my understanding. "Not perfect" is the key.  
> **username_0**: yeah my mandarin textbook is inaccurate and outdated.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2021-01-11. Score: 5

First of all, “八九不离十” is very very informal. Even as a native speaker of Mandarin, I seldom use it. You should be careful when you want to use this phrase.

Secondly, Your example sentence “汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了。” sounds very strange to me. I doubt a native speaker (at least in central mainland China) will use “八九不离十” in this way.

“八九不离十” means “相差无几” "差不多"，"very close to the fact but not exactly the fact"

> 你猜的八九不离十。 (Nǐ cāi de bā jiǔ bù lí shí.)  
> Your guess is pretty close.

Update: An analysis of “八九不离十”

“八” = number 8 “九” = number 9 “不” = not “离” = "far away from" “十” = number 10

Literally, “八九不离十” means "number 8 and 9 are not far from number 10", "number 8 and 9 are pretty close to number 10", so it is used to mean "very close to the fact but not exactly the fact".


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### Answer by username_2 on 2021-01-11. Score: 0

I’m not sure that the term is used correctly in “汤姆说考试八九不离十就可以了”. According to the dictionary, “八九不离十” means “nearly approaching the **fact**”, and using “fact” to describe exam results is not appropriate, so the sentence makes sense but isn’t grammatically right.

Here’s an example that the term is correctly used:

> 他猜得不对，但是八九不离十了。  
> He guessed wrong, but is almost there.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-01-12. Score: 0

For simple, replace it with `差不多`. But the point is:  
To understand what **object/target** is close to, or what `十` (the object) represents in the sentence.

`这电影不好看，跟我之前想的八九不离十（差不多）`  
`十` represents `不好看(boring)`  
The movie is boring anyway.

`这次考试结果，她能猜个八九不离十（差不多）`  
`十` represents `考试结果(score)`  
She guessed a close number.

`汤姆说考试八九不离十（差不多）就可以了`  
Tom can accept an average score.  
So the trick is, `十` represents `通过(passed)` in the sentence, NOT `Excellent(A+)`

Remember `十` is just an object, NOT a number, NOT ten out of ten, and Tom just wanna pass the exam.


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