晴宝和弟弟玩耍弄坏床围栏

What does “将就” mean in Chinese?

将就 (jiāngjiu) is what you say when something isn’t good enough but you’ll live with it. In this family clip the toddlers bend the bed rail out of shape mid-play, and dad’s verdict is 先将就用吧 — “let’s just make do with it for now.” The word carries a small sigh: not broken enough to replace, not good enough to love. English needs a whole phrase; Chinese has one word for settling.

Classic uses: 饭菜不好，将就吃吧 (“the food’s nothing special — make do”). It’s also a big word in Chinese romance talk, where 不要将就 means “don’t settle” for the wrong person. Bonus from the same clip: the little girl is told 不能半途而废 — a four-character idiom meaning “you can’t give up halfway.”