Chinese word

分外

Pronunciation

Pinyinfèn wài

Meaning

  • adverbespecially

Example

今天他分外高兴。jīn tiān tā fèn wài gāo xìng

Today he is especially happy.

Illustration for 分外 (especially)

More examples

毕业多年后，他们依然分外珍惜那段时光。bì yè duō nián hòu tā men yī rán fèn wài zhēn xī nà duàn shí guāng

Even years after graduating, they still especially cherish that time.

Core concept

A normal state pushed farther than expected, so its feeling or intensity becomes especially noticeable.

Common phrases

  • 分外珍惜fèn wài zhēn xī

    especially cherish

  • 分外吃惊fèn wài chī jīng

    especially surprised

Similar words

特别tè bié: Expresses a very high degree, especially in a strong feeling or situation.
非常fēi cháng: Marks a feeling or situation as being at an extremely high degree.
格外gé wài: Indicates an unusually high degree in a state, feeling, or appearance.
尤其yóu qí: Points out one person, thing, or situation as standing out within a group or range.

Definition in Chinese

表示出乎平常或意料之外的特别程度，常用来强调感情或状态的强烈程度，作状语使用。biǎo shì chū hū píng cháng huò yì liào zhī wài de tè bié chéng dù cháng yòng lái qiáng diào gǎn qíng huò zhuàng tài de qiáng liè chéng dù zuò zhuàng yǔ shǐ yòng

Word origin

The compound 分外 (fènwài, "especially") combines 分 (fèn, "a proper portion or limit") + 外 (wài, "outside"), giving the word its sense of going past the expected degree.

Usage tips

  • English often uses "especially" for selection or comparison, but this Chinese adverb commonly draws attention to how strongly a person feels or appears in a situation.

Other meanings

  • extremelyadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word