Meaning of 特
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- special
- unique
- distinguished
- especially
- unusual
- very
- abbr. for 特克斯[te4 ke4 si1], tex
How to use 特
As an adverb, 特 means "especially" or "very" and sounds a bit formal or written. In speech it often appears in casual phrases like 特好 or 特棒, and in compounds such as 特别 and 特色. Example: 这家店的菜特好吃。(Zhè jiā diàn de cài tè hǎochī.) The food at this shop is really tasty.
特 has 牛 (niú, ox) on the left and 寺 (sì, temple) on the right. Picture one ox standing at the temple gate, set apart from the herd because it is special.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as a full 牛, but in 特 the last stroke of 牛 becomes a rising stroke that does not cross to the right. Also do not confuse 特 with 持 (chí, to hold), which has the hand radical 扌 instead of the ox.
特 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
特 tè · special · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 特.
| 特别 | tèbié | unusual; special; very; especially; particularly |
| 特点 | tèdiǎn | characteristic; trait; feature |
| 特色 | tèsè | a characteristic; a distinctive feature or quality |
| 特殊 | tèshū | special; particular |
| 独特 | dútè | unique; distinctive |
| 特征 | tèzhēng | characteristic; diagnostic property |
| 模特儿 | mótèr | (fashion) model (loanword) |
| 特价 | tèjià | special price |
| 特定 | tèdìng | special; specific; designated; particular |
| 特性 | tèxìng | property; characteristic |
| 特有 | tèyǒu | specific (to); characteristic (of) |
| 特意 | tèyì | specially; intentionally |
Questions about 特
What does 特 mean?
特 (tè) means "special; unique" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 特?
特 is made of 1 character: 特 (10 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 特 an HSK word?
Yes. 特 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 特 and 特别?
特别 (tèbié) is the everyday word for "especially" or "special" and works almost anywhere. 特 alone is shorter and either more formal, as in 特此通知 (hereby notify), or very colloquial, as in 特累 (super tired).
Is 特 used as a prefix in words?
Yes. It often adds the idea of "special" to a noun, as in 特价 (tèjià, special price), 特快 (tèkuài, express train) and 特产 (tèchǎn, local specialty).