不尽如人意

You will usually see this phrase describing results, performances, or specific situations. It often follows a noun like 结果 (result), 表现 (performance), or 情况 (situation). You can say 'Something 不尽如人意.' It functions like an adjective in English. For example, 'The movie's ending was 不尽如人意.' It sounds sophisticated and thoughtful. It shows you have high standards but are being objective about the outcome.

This is your go-to phrase for professional settings or serious discussions. Use it in a meeting when a project didn't hit its targets. Use it when writing a review for a book that started strong but ended weak. It is perfect for texting a friend about a first date that was just 'okay.' It also works well when you are being humble about your own work. If someone praises you, saying the result was 不尽如人意 shows great modesty.

Avoid using this for tiny, trivial accidents. If you drop your ice cream, don't use this phrase; it is too formal for that. Also, do not use it if something is a total, flaming catastrophe. If a house burns down, calling it 不尽如人意 would be a bizarre understatement. It implies a 'near miss' or a 'partial success,' not a complete tragedy. Finally, don't use it in very slang-heavy, casual street talk with teenagers.

Chinese culture often values indirectness and 'saving face.' Directly telling someone their work is 'bad' can be seen as rude or confrontational. 不尽如人意 provides a linguistic cushion. It shifts the focus from 'you failed' to 'the result didn't meet the ideal.' It stems from classical literary traditions where scholars would critique art or governance with poetic precision. It reflects a worldview that perfection is rare and reality often lags behind our intentions.

You might hear people shorten it to 不如人意. Both mean essentially the same thing. However, adding the 尽 (completely) makes it sound slightly more formal and precise. Another related term is 差强人意, but be careful! That actually means 'just barely satisfactory,' which is the opposite of what you might think. Stick to 不尽如人意 when you want to express that 'not quite good enough' feeling.