All meanings
- to bring together
- to make do in a bad situation
- to just get by
- to improvise
- passable
- not too bad
In context
Example sentences
这房子虽然小，但还能凑合着住。
Zhè fángzi suīrán xiǎo, dàn hái néng còuhe zhe zhù
Although this house is small, we can still make do with it
Keep going
Related words
HSK levels
凑合: HSK 6 on the old exam, HSK 7-9 on the new one. See where your old level lands
New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting of the new exam is announced for 13 December 2026, for HSK 1 to 6. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.
Study this word
Keep 凑合 for good.
HSK Lord shows you this card again right before you would forget it, so each review is short and the word stays with you.
Add to my deck, free
10 new cards a day on the free plan, no credit card.
Frequently Asked Questions
凑合 (còu he) means "to bring together; to make do in a bad situation; to just get by; to improvise; passable; not too bad" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 7-9.
凑合 is pronounced "còu he" in Mandarin Chinese. It is made up of 2 syllables.
凑合 is an HSK 7-9 word on the new HSK exam syllabus. It is HSK 6 on the old exam, HSK 7-9 on the new one.
凑合 is made up of the characters 凑, 合. Each character has its own meaning and can appear in other words.
You can practice writing 凑合 using our stroke order tool.
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.