TongTong
Sign in

不凡 (bù fán) — out of the ordinary, remarkable, extraordinary

Definition

不凡 (bù fán) is the written, formal word for 'extraordinary / outstanding,' used for talent, style, or achievements. Most often seen as a modifier (∼的天赋), not as a standalone predicate.

verb
out of the ordinaryremarkableextraordinary

Examples

  • 不凡，。
    Zhè wèi zuò jiā de zuò pǐn qì shì bù fán, lìng rén jìng pèi.
    This writer's works are extraordinary in momentum and command admiration.
  • 不凡，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù yǒu bù fán de tiān fù, yóu qí zài yīn yuè fāng miàn.
    He has had remarkable talent since childhood, especially in music.
  • 不凡，。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō qíng jié bù fán, zhí dé yì dú.
    The plot of this novel is out of the ordinary and worth reading.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

不bùnot
凡fánordinary

不 as not and 凡 as ordinary combine to mean out of the ordinary.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

Open 凡 →
Appears in
Good & Bad

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.