别出心裁 (bié chū xīn cái) — to be original and creative; to think outside the box

Definition

Literally 'show a different cut from the heart' — a set idiom praising originality and unconventional creativity in ideas, designs, or approaches.

idiom
to be original and creativeto think outside the box

Examples

  • 别出心裁，。
    Tā de shè jì bié chū xīn cái, ràng rén yǎn qián yí liàng.
    His design was so innovative that it made people's eyes light up.
  • 别出心裁，。
    Zhè cì huó dòng cè huà bié chū xīn cái, xī yǐn le hěn duō nián qīng rén.
    This event planning was very creative and attracted a lot of young people.
  • ，别出心裁。
    Jiě jué wèn tí bù néng zǒng yòng lǎo bàn fǎ, yào xué huì bié chū xīn cái.
    When solving problems, you can't always use old methods—you need to learn to be original.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 別; 别 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 別 pairs 冎 (bone) with 刀 (knife), showing a knife cutting up bone and flesh. The simplified 别 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 别 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

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

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢦏
𢦏𢦏裁cái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

裁 combines 衣 (clothing) with 𢦏, whose form is tied to a blade and an arrow, to show cutting fabric.

Open 裁 →

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