再普通也不過

[82riceballs]

What does 再普通也不過 mean? does it mean "it doesn't even pass the average" or "not more than average"?

Is 再... 也不過 a phrase?

[skylee]

It means extremely common / ordinary, nothing can be more common / ordinary.

[richiechen]

Literally translated, it means the most common, nothing is more common than.... but actually, it means very very common (not necessarily most common)

And also we are more inclined to say 再普通不过了 not 再普通也不过.

For example: 你这办法再普通不过了, your idea is very very common (nothing particular).

再..adjective...不过了, is a phrase, you can say 再好不过了(very very good)

[richiechen]

I replied, why couldn't I see my reply??

[littleknight23]

Skylee gave you the right meaning

And I add a little more

Yes, 再... 也不過 is a phrase.

For example, 再简单也不过, means extremely simple, nothing can be more simple than it

But it seems that it’s limited used, only used with 简单，平常，普通…

Not all the adjectives can be used with it.

And what’s more, it has different meaning in sentences below:

再美也不过是精装垃圾＝再美，也不过是精装垃圾, means even though it’s so beautiful, it’s just a garbage with a beautiful casing

[82riceballs]

richie chen- ur post was being checked by the moderators, so that's why u can't see it immediately after posting.

謝謝大家！

[bloodline]

I want to correct your expression，is 再美不过，not 再美也不过，don't need “也”，I am a Chinese. Thanks.

[littleknight23]

the complete expression is 再美也不过是精装垃圾, so it's different from 再美不过

I do know the differences between these two phrases

by the way, I am also a native Chinese, and I work as a copywriter----someone who live by writing

[abruzzi]

The fact is ：再普通的东西也不过如此

means:这个是最最普通的了

We Chinese say that for short

[adrianlondon]

Couldn't be simpler, couldn't be better etc.

How would you say "couldn't be worse"?

再坏不过了?

(再不好不过了 doesn't sound right to me.)

[82riceballs]

I would say 已經沒救了 or 已经沒救了 (which isn't a very literal translation, by the way).

I think there are many ways to say it:

e.g. 他已經是最爛的最爛了. She couldn't be any worse (she's the worst of the worst).

i hope my two cents helps, but i'm not so sure of my reliability though, since i'm an ABC, so, better to get an authentic native's opinion on this.

[noname]

we usually say "再普通不过了" or "再普通不过的", but not "再普通也不过"

这台传真机再普通不过了 means 这台传真机很普通

这是一台再普通不过的传真机了 means 这是一台很普通的传真机