HSK · Level 50
120 words
Chinese word
稀奇
Pronunciation
Pinyinxī qí
Meaning
- adjectiveunusual
Example
这件事很稀奇。zhè jiàn shì hěn xī qí
This is very unusual.
More examples
他第一次见到这种植物时觉得很稀奇。tā dì yí cì jiàn dào zhè zhòng zhí wù shí jué de hěn xī qí
When he first saw this kind of plant, he found it very unusual.
Core concept
A rarity that stands out from the ordinary and draws notice.
Common phrases
觉得稀奇jué de xī qí
find unusual
让人稀奇ràng rén xī qí
strike people as unusual
稀奇的地方xī qí de dì fāng
unusual aspect
Similar words
罕见hǎn jiàn: So rare that people seldom see or encounter it.
少见shǎo jiàn: Uncommon because people do not often come across it.
稀有xī yǒu: Rare and limited in quantity or frequency.
奇怪qí guài: Odd in a way that feels unusual or hard to understand.
Definition in Chinese
少见罕有，用来形容不常出现且能引起人们注意或感到意外的事物。shǎo jiàn hán yǒu yòng lái xíng róng bù cháng chū xiàn qiě néng yín qǐ rén men zhù yì huò gǎn dào yì wài de shì wù
Word origin
稀 (xī, "scarce") + 奇 (qí, "strange") joins rarity with oddness, describing something that stands out because it is seldom encountered.
Usage tips
- For everyday conversation, it often signals mild surprise or curiosity, so it need not suggest that the unusual thing is bad.
Other meanings
- strangeadjective
Opposites
- 常见cháng jiàncommonadjective
- 平常píng chángordinaryadjective
Related words
- 稀奇古怪xī qí gǔ guàistrange and unusualidiom