异 (yì): different, other, hetero-
异 (yì) is a Chinese character meaning “different.” Classified as HSK Level 6 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 巳 (structural) and 廾 (structural). It ranks #709 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 异 simplified form of 異; a person 共 with a scary face田. Its radical form 廾 (hands joined) appears in many related characters such as 开 (kāi, to open (transitive or intransitive)), 弄 (nòng, to do), 弃 (qì, to abandon).
Definitions
- different
- other
- hetero-
Etymology & Origin
ideographicSimplified form of 異; a person 共 with a scary face田
Decomposition: ⿱巳廾 (layout: top-bottom)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 异 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 异
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 异常adjective/adverb | yì cháng | unusual | 6 |
| 差异noun | chā yì | difference | 6 |
| 优异adjective | yōu yì | exceptional | 6 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 怪异adjective | guài yì | monstrous |
| 诡异adjective | guǐ yì | strange |
| 异性noun | yì xìng | the opposite sex |
| 异议noun | yì yì | objection |
| 异教徒noun | yì jiào tú | member of another religion |
| 变异verb | biàn yì | variation |
| 奇异adjective | qí yì | fantastic |
| 惊异adjective | jīng yì | amazed |
| 异国noun | yì guó | exotic |
| 异想天开 | yì xiǎng tiān kāi | (idiom) to imagine the wildest thing |
| 特异功能 | tè yì gōng néng | supernatural power |
| 异样adjective | yì yàng | difference |
| 异端noun | yì duān | heresy |
| 离异verb | lí yì | to divorce |
| 异类adjective | yì lèi | different kind (sometimes with a connotation of strangeness or eccentricity) |
异 appears in 104 compound words: 64 as the first character, 28 as the last, and 8 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 异 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (19)
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Qing Dynasty collection of Chinese supernatural tales)
to seek common ground while leaving aside differences; to agree to disagree
daily renewal, monthly change (idiom); every day sees new developments; rapid progress
to not get along; to be in discord (usually as a result of different goals); to have different opinions and plans
to seek common ground while leaving aside differences; to agree to disagree
daily renewal, monthly change (idiom); every day sees new developments; rapid progress
to not get along; to be in discord (usually as a result of different goals); to have different opinions and plans
Showing 12 of 19 idioms containing 异.
Example Sentences
这个异字在古汉语中有不同的含义。
zhè gě yì zì zài gǔ hàn yǔ zhōng yǒu bù tóng de hán yì .
This character "异" had different meanings in Classical Chinese.
...到一根手指都疼是怎么回事?是不是外阴发育异常
. . . dào yī gēn shǒu zhǐ dōu téng shì zěn má huí shì ? shì bù shì wài yīn fā yù yì cháng
... What's going on with a finger that hurts? Is it an abnormal development of the vulva?
男生小便后甩一甩能减少异味吗?尿液残留少则氨味轻吗
nán shēng xiǎo biàn hòu shuǎi yī shuǎi néng jiǎn shǎo yì wèi ma ? niào yè cán liú shǎo zé 氨 wèi qīng ma
Can a boy shake after urinating reduce odor? Is the smell of ammonia lighter if there is less urine residue?
郑丽文撞钟诡异抖动!命理师惊揭“是他显灵”要警告关键1...
zhèng lí wén zhuàng zhōng guǐ yì dǒu dòng ! mìng lǐ shī jīng jiē shì tā xiǎn líng yāo jǐng gào guān jiàn 1 . . .
Zheng Liwen rang the bell and shook strangely! The numerologist revealed that "it was he who appeared" to warn the key 1...
《异能》金度勋疑吃Karina豆腐!被目击揉...
yì néng jīn dù xūn yí chī K a r i n a dòu fǔ ! bèi mù jī róu . . .
"Superpower" Kim Do-hoon suspected of eating Karina tofu! Being kneaded by witnesses...
氦气流动异常 阿提米丝2号绕月再推迟
氦 qì liú dòng yì cháng ā tí mǐ sī 2 hào rào yuè zài tuī chí
Helium flow is abnormal Artemis 2 orbit the moon and is postponed again
”你是异性恋还是女同？“”我是异性恋。“
"nǐ shì yìxìngliàn háishi nǚtóng?""wǒ shì yìxìngliàn."
"Are you hetero or lesbian?" "I am hetero."
「曲奇最近行为怪异吗？」「他是一只猫。」
「 qǔqí zuì jìn xíngwéi guàiyì ma?」「 tā shì yī zhī māo.」
"Has Cookie been acting weird lately?" "He's a cat."
国家不同，习俗各异。
Guójiā bùtóng, xísú gè yì.
Social customs vary from country to country.
环境污染正造成异常的天气情况。
Huánjìngwūrǎn zhèng zàochéng yìcháng de tiānqì qíngkuàng.
Environmental pollution is causing abnormal weather conditions.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 异 (yì) mean in Chinese?
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What is the radical of 异?
What are the components of 异?
What are common words containing 异?
What characters sound the same as 异 (yì)?
Is 异 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
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