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异乎寻常 (yì hū xún cháng) — (idiom) unusual, extraordinary; (often with 地 as adverb) unusually

Definition

A formal, written idiom meaning 'extraordinary / out of the ordinary,' much stronger than just 'unusual.' Often modified by 地 to act as an adverb (异乎寻常地 + adjective).

idiom
unusualextraordinary(often with 地 as adverb) unusually

Examples

  • 异乎寻常。
    Zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng yì hū xún cháng.
    This situation is unusual.
  • 异乎寻常。
    Tā jīn tiān yì hū xún cháng dì ān jìng.
    He is unusually quiet today.
  • 异乎寻常。
    Jīn nián de tiān qì yì hū xún cháng dì nuǎn huo.
    This year's weather is unusually warm.

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 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 →

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

  • 丂丂kǎobranch

The old 乎 paired an element for wind or air with 丂, a branch used as a sound part, and was the original form of the word for 'to call; to cry'.

Open 乎 →

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

寻 is formed from 又 (hand) and 寸 (hand).

Open 寻 →

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
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng常cháng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Open 常 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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