Chinese word

形形色色

Pronunciation

Pinyinxíng xíng sè sè

Meaning

  • idiomall kinds of

Example

他遇到过形形色色的问题。tā yù dào guò xíng xíng sè sè de wèn tí

He has encountered all kinds of problems.

Illustration for 形形色色 (all kinds of)

More examples

会议上大家提出了形形色色的想法。huì yì shàng dà jiā tí chū le xíng xíng sè sè de xiáng fǎ

At the meeting, everyone put forward all sorts of ideas.

Core concept

Many distinct forms gathered together, with each type unlike the others.

Common phrases

  • 形形色色的人xíng xíng sè sè de rén

    all sorts of people

  • 形形色色的问题xíng xíng sè sè de wèn tí

    all sorts of problems

  • 形形色色的商品xíng xíng sè sè de shāng pǐn

    all sorts of products

  • 形形色色的想法xíng xíng sè sè de xiáng fǎ

    all sorts of ideas

Similar words

千姿百态qiān zī bǎi tài: A great variety of shapes, appearances, and forms.
五花八门wǔ huā bā mén: Many varied types or ways of doing something, creating a colorful range.

Definition in Chinese

形状、性质或种类多种多样，彼此各不相同。xíng zhuàng xìng zhì huò zhǒng lèi duō zhǒng duō yàng bí cǐ gè bù xiāng tóng

Word origin

The four characters 形 (xíng, "form") + 形 (xíng, "form") + 色 (sè, "appearance") + 色 (sè, "appearance") use repetition to show that many different kinds are present.

Usage tips

  • The idiom has a somewhat written feel, so recognizing it helps in reading even when a more familiar spoken expression would be chosen in conversation.

Opposites

Word lists with this word