Chinese word

奇花异草

Pronunciation

Pinyinqí huā yì cǎo

Meaning

  • idiomexotic flowers and plants

Example

公园里有很多奇花异草，吸引了游客。gōng yuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō qí huā yì cǎo xī yǐn le yóu kè

There are many exotic flowers and plants in the park, attracting tourists.

Illustration for 奇花异草 (exotic flowers and plants)

More examples

植物园里可以观赏到奇花异草，吸引了不少研究者。zhí wù yuán lǐ ké yǐ guān shǎng dào qí huā yì cǎo xī yǐn le bù shǎo yán jiū zhě

In the botanical garden, exotic flowers and plants can be admired, attracting many researchers.

Core concept

Unusual plants that attract attention because their forms or qualities differ from what people normally expect.

Common phrases

  • 奇花异草盛开qí huā yì cǎo shèng kāi

    exotic flowers and plants are in full bloom

  • 观赏奇花异草guān shǎng qí huā yì cǎo

    view exotic flowers and plants

  • 采集奇花异草cǎi jí qí huā yì cǎo

    gather exotic flowers and plants

Similar words

光怪陆离guāng guài lù lí: Strikingly strange in form and color, with a vivid and spectacular appearance.
稀奇古怪xī qí gǔ guài: Uncommon and oddly different, often causing a sense of wonder.

Definition in Chinese

用来指罕见或形态奇特的花草，也常被借来比喻外表或性质与众不同的事物。yòng lái zhǐ hǎn jiàn huò xíng tài qí tè de huā cǎo yě cháng bèi jiè lái bǐ yù wài biǎo huò xìng zhì yǔ zhòng bù tóng de shì wù

Word origin

奇 (qí, "strange") + 异 (yì, "different") emphasizes rarity and difference, while 花 (huā, "flower") + 草 (cǎo, "grass") creates the concrete image behind the wider meaning.

Usage tips

  • When the idiom describes a person, idea, or object rather than a garden, the surrounding context shows whether the difference is being praised, noticed neutrally, or treated as odd.

Word lists with this word