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天壤之别 (tiān rǎng zhī bié) — poles apart; a world of difference

Definition

A literary, four-character idiom (成语) meaning a vast, extreme difference — 'poles apart' or 'a world of difference.' Stronger and more formal than everyday words like 区别 or 不同.

noun
poles aparta world of difference

Examples

  • 天壤之别，，。
    Zhè liǎng gè rén de xìng gé yǒu tiān rǎng zhī bié, yí gè wài xiàng, yí gè nèi xiàng.
    These two people's personalities are poles apart — one is outgoing, the other is introverted.
  • 天壤之别。
    Chéng shì hé xiāng cūn de shēng huó jiǎn zhí shì tiān rǎng zhī bié.
    Life in the city and in the countryside is simply a world of difference.
  • 天壤之别，，。
    Tā men de néng lì xiāng chā tiān rǎng zhī bié, yí gè hěn qiáng, yí gè hěn ruò.
    Their abilities are poles apart — one is very strong, the other very weak.

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.

天壤heaven and earth
天tiānheaven壤rǎngearth
联合Coordinate
之别the difference
之zhīof别biédifference
偏正Modifier + head

“天壤” means heaven and earth, and “之别” means the difference, so the image is a difference as wide as heaven and earth.

Characters in this word

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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
土土tǔearth, dirt
Sound part声符shēngfú
襄
襄xiāng壤rǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 土 is earth or dirt, showing the meaning; the right side 襄 gives the sound.

Open 壤 →

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

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

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 →
Appears in
Comparison & DegreeIdioms & Set Phrases

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