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奇观 (qí guān) — spectacle, impressive sight

Definition

A 'wondrous sight / spectacle' — focuses on a visual phenomenon that impresses you, not on an event (场面) or an unbelievable feat (奇迹). Often modified by 世界/一大/视觉.

noun
spectacleimpressive sight
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 奇观。
    Tài shān de rì chū shì yí dà qí guān.
    The sunrise at Mount Tai is a great spectacle.
  • 奇观。
    Zhè zuò chéng shì de yè jǐng kān chēng shì jiè qí guān.
    The night view of this city can be called a world spectacle.
  • 奇观。
    Nà chǎng biǎo yǎn zhēn shì yì chǎng shì jué qí guān.
    That performance was truly a visual spectacle.

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.

奇qíextraordinary
观guānsight

奇 (extraordinary) and 观 (sight) combine to mean an impressive spectacle.

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 觀; 观 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn觀guān
Same sound today

The traditional form 觀 uses 見 (see) for meaning and 雚 for sound.

Open 观 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Landmarks & Attractions

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