奇装异服 (qí zhuāng yì fú) — bizarre or outlandish clothing (often derogatory)

Definition

An idiom for 'bizarre, eye-catching clothing' — usually disapproving, for outfits that stand out as weird rather than stylish. Compare 时尚 (stylish/fashionable), which is positive.

idiom
bizarre or outlandish clothing (often derogatory)

Examples

  • 奇装异服。
    Tā chuān le yì shēn qí zhuāng yì fú qù shàng bān.
    He wore a set of bizarre clothes to work.
  • 奇装异服。
    Dà jiā jué de tā de qí zhuāng yì fú hěn tè bié.
    Everyone thinks her bizarre clothes are very unique.
  • 奇装异服。
    Zhè zhǒng qí zhuāng yì fú bú shì hé zhèng shì chǎng hé.
    This kind of bizarre clothes is not suitable for formal occasions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

奇装strange clothing
奇qístrange装zhuāngclothing
偏正Modifier + head
异服unusual clothing
异yìdifferent服fúclothes
偏正Modifier + head

'奇装' (strange clothing) and '异服' (unusual clothing) stand side by side to describe outlandish dress.

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dàbig; great
Sound part声符shēngfú
可
可kě奇
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

奇 pairs 大 (big; great) with 可, a sound part.

Open 奇 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裝; 装 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
壯
壯zhuàng裝zhuāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 裝 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 壯 as a sound part; this story is about 裝, not the simplified 装.

Open 装 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 異; 异 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 異 depicts a person with a mask 田 over the face, so the face looks different. The simplified 异 is a later shorthand.

Open 异 →

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
凡凡fántray
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬝
𠬝𠬝服fú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 服, the part 𠬝 was the original picture for 'to subdue'; the added left part 凡, a tray, later changed shape.

Open 服 →

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