What exactly does 差不多先生 mean?

Question

I've been trying to study the song 差不多先生 and am having difficulty understanding all of the uses of 差不多.

Also if anyone is feeling super inspired, I'd love to have a full translation of the song. A good place to put it would be on Lyrics Translate.

Answer 1

差不多 literally means nearly, just about, or almost.

差不多先生 means the person pertains to the phrase 差不多 a lot, indicating his life style, loose, careless, etc.

Answer 2

差 = difference ; lacking

不多 = not much;

差不多 (not much difference; not lacking too much) = 'almost' , 'similar' or 'not too bad/ fair'

It can mean anything depend on the context

For example:

• Q: "How is the food tasted?" A: "差不多 (almost) = almost there" (fair/ not too bad)

• Q: "How is my food and his food tasted?" A: "差不多 (almost) = almost the same" (similar taste or at comparable level)

Read the lyric and you will know what the person nicknamed 差不多先生 (Mr. Doesn't matter/Not too bad/ Almost there/ Not quite there) is like- A mediocre man living a mediocre life and modestly bemoans about it

差不多先生 Mr. Chàbùduō :

我抽着差不多的烟　I am smoking the not too bad cigarette

又过了差不多的一天 lived a not too bad day again

时间差不多的闲　the time I have is spent in near idleness

我花着差不多的钱 spending fair amount of money

口味要差不多的咸　my taste require (the food to be) similar in saltiness

做人要差不多的贱 live a life need to be at fair level of lowliness

活在差不多的边缘　live on an edge that's not too far

又是差不多的一年 it is another year that's not too bad

一个差不多的台北市　a not too bad Taipei City

有差不多的马子 has prostitutes that are not too bad

差不多又干了几次　modestly did it a few times again

用着差不多的姿势 using the similar position

看着差不多的电视　watching T.V. programs that are not too bad (or watching T.V. programs that are similar in quality)

吃着差不多的狗屎 eating the similar dog shit (meaning watching the similar garbage)

写着差不多的字　writing some decent words (either writing in good quality of penmanship or writing words that have similar meaning)

又发着差不多的誓 swear a similar (or decent) oath again

差不多的夜生活　similar (or decent) night live

又喝着差不多的酒 drinking some decent wine (or wine that is of similar quality)

听着差不多的音乐　listening to some decent music (or music that sounds almost the same)

喝醉差不多的糗 got drunk and be modestly embarrassed

有着差不多的绝望　having a modest hopelessness

做着差不多的梦 having a not too bad dream (or having a similar dream)

穿着差不多的衣服　wearing some decent clothes (or wearing similar clothes)

脑袋差不多的空 my brain is almost empty

差不多的挂　similar failure

说着差不多抱怨的话 saying similar complaining words

时间也差不多了　It is almost time

该回我那差不多的家 should go back to my not too bad home

差不多的瞎　modestly blind

指鹿为马　都差不多嘛 point a deer and say it is a horse, they are almost the same, right?

继续吧　继续瞎子摸象吧　有差吗 continue, continue act like 'blind men touching an elephant' , is there any difference? (or is it too bad?)

(each blind man will describe an elephant differently, it is an idiom for each person can only get part of the whole picture),

我是差不多先生 I am Mr. Chàbùduō 　

我的差不多是天生 my mediocrity is inborn

代表我很天真　it means I am very naive

也代表我是个贱人 also means I am a lowly person

这差不多的人生　this not too bad (or mediocre ) life

这个问题艰深 this question is hard

差不多先生　 Mr. Chàbùduō

我的差不多是天生 my mediocrity is inborn

代表我很天真　it means I am very naive

也代表我是个贱人 also means I am a lowly person

这差不多的人生　 in this not too bad life

总在见缝插针 always seeking opportunities

差不多的反覆　I would sometimes modestly eat my own words

总是差不多又义无反顾 but always modestly keep my promise for principle

差不多的感触　modestly feeling touched

总是差不多又愁云惨雾 but always about to feel sad again

差不多的孤　similarly solitary

差不多的独 similarly alone

一条差不多的路　a similar road

我吃着差不多的苦 I enduring similar pains

我嗑着差不多的药　I am doing decently strong drug (or doing similar drug)

又睡了一场差不多的觉 having a fairly good sleep again

差不多的烦恼　almost the same worry

差不多要把我逼疯掉 almost push me to insanity

差不多的　糟　modestly terrible

差不多的　妙 modestly wonderful

差不多的　孬　modestly bad

又差不多的　屌 and modestly awesome

差不多的中国风　decent degree of Chinese style (or Chinese style that is not too bad)

差不多要把耳朵蒙 almost have to cover my ears

歹戏拖棚　bad movies keep stalling

差不多要帮你送个终 it is almost time to see you die

差不多的歌手摆着差不多的乌龙 decent singers making similar mistakes

差不多的麦克风唱差不多的呼咙　都在哭穷 with decent microphone, sing similar snore, all cry poor

差不多都像个猪头　almost like a pig head

偏偏我和他们差不多是猪朋狗友 still, they and I are almost pig friends

撒　差不多的谎　唬烂差不多的强 damn! almost the same lie (or a decent lie), scare the fairly strong people to death

骂人差不多的呛　verbally assault people fairly viciously

不然你要怎么样 or else what do you want me to do?

我是差不多先生　我的差不多是天生 I am Mr. Chàbùduō , my mediocrity is inborn

代表我很天真　it means I am very naive

也代表我是个贱人 also means I am a lowly person

这差不多的人生　this not too bad (or mediocre ) life

这个问题艰深 this question is hard

差不多先生　 Mr. Chàbùduō

我的差不多是天生 my mediocrity is inborn

代表我很天真　it means I am very naive

也代表我是个贱人 also means I am a lowly person

差不多的你　差不多的我　差不多的他 the not too bad you, the not too bad me, the not too bad him

差不多的他妈　the decently number of damned people

都差不多想发达 all modestly wanted to get rich

差不多打着哈哈　他骂着XX　modestly put up an out loud laugh, he is cursing XX

嘎嘎乌拉拉　都差不多的咖 ga ga ur la la (noise) all similar characters

差不多先生　他像个笑话 Mr. Chàbùduō , he is like a joke

有人又在叫骂　 someone shouting insults again

差不多要跳不起来　almost can't jump

还是要跳跃吧 still, let's jump up

差不多像乌龟　almost like a turtle

但乌龟乌龟翘吧 but turtle, turtle please die!

这差不多的人生　它妙吗 this not too bad life, is it wonderful?

差不多要力争上游　it is about time to work hard and advance

想游到上流 want to swim to the top

差不多在心里默念阿门还有佛陀　modestly thanks God and Buddha in my heart

不能放牛 can't be lax

差不多的生活很街头　mediocre life is quite like life in the street

再差一点你就变成街友 a little bit more you would become a homeless

我唱了八十八个差不多　I have sung 88 Chàbùduō

都差不多 they are all similar

差不多先生不会在乎这么多 Mr.Chàbùduō would not care that much

日子应该怎么过　how to spend my days

差不多的2008怎么霍 how to spend the mediocre 2008

我是差不多先生　热狗 I am Mr. Chàbùduō, hotdog!

我是差不多先生　我是差不多先生 I am Mr. Chàbùduō, I am Mr. Chàbùduō

我是差不多先生　我的差不多是天生 I am Mr. Chàbùduō, my mediocrity is inborn

代表我很天真　it means I am very naive

也代表我是个贱人 also means I am a lowly person

这差不多的人生　this not too bad (or mediocre ) life

这个问题艰深 this question is hard

差不多先生　我的差不多是天生 Mr. Chàbùduō, my mediocrity is inborn

代表我很天真　it means I am very naive

也代表我是个贱人 also means I am a lowly person

这差不多的人生　总在见缝插针 this Mr. Chàbùduō always seeking opportunities

我是差不多先生 I am Mr. Chàbùduō