特 té / tè — special; unusual; extraordinary; male animal; special (-ly)
今天天气特别热。Jīn tiān tiān qì tè bié rè.The weather is especially hot today.
Common words: 特别 (tè bié)、特点 (tè diǎn)、特色 (tè sè)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "unusual"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "unusual", including 特 (té / tè), 神 (shén), 异 (yì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "unusual" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 特 (té / tè), 神 (shén), 异 (yì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span té, tè, shén, yì — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 特 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 特 té / tèspecial; unusual; extraordinary; male animal; special (-ly)Useful words: 特别, 特点
- 神 shénGod; unusual; mysterious; soul; spirit; divine essenceUseful words: 精神, 神秘
- 异 yì(interj.); raise; to stop; different; unusual; strangeUseful words: 异常, 差异
Common words for these 3 "unusual" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 特 (té / tè) — so "unusual" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
特别tè biéunusual; special; very; especially特点tè diǎncharacteristic; trait; feature特色tè sèa characteristic; a distinctive feature or quality精神jīng shénspirit; mind; consciousness; thought神秘shén mìmysterious; mystery神话shén huàlegend; fairy tale; myth; mythology异常yì chángunusual; abnormal; extremely; exceptionally差异chā yìdifference; discrepancy优异yōu yìexceptional; outstandingly good
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "unusual".
神 shén — God; unusual; mysterious; soul; spirit; divine essence
他今天看起来很有精神。Tā jīn tiān kàn qǐ lái hěn yǒu jīng shen.He looks very energetic today.
Common words: 精神 (jīng shén)、神秘 (shén mì)、神话 (shén huà)
异 yì — (interj.); raise; to stop; different; unusual; strange
他对异国的文化很感兴趣。Tā duì yì guó de wén huà hěn gǎn xìng qù.He is very interested in the culture of foreign countries.
Common words: 异常 (yì cháng)、差异 (chā yì)、优异 (yōu yì)
All 3 characters
Open 特、神、异 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.