Meaning of 特意
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- specially
- intentionally
How to use 特意
特意 goes before the verb and stresses that an action was done for one specific purpose, often as a kind gesture. It is common when talking about trips, gifts, or favors. Example: 他特意来看我。(Tā tèyì lái kàn wǒ.) He came especially to see me.
特 (tè) means special, as in 特别 (tèbié), and 意 (yì) means intention, as in 意思 (yìsi). Put them together and 特意 is doing something with a special intention, on purpose just for someone or something.
Common mistake: Learners often use 特别 (tèbié) when they mean 特意. 特别 means very or especially in degree, while 特意 means on purpose for a reason, so 我特别给你买的 sounds odd and should be 我特意给你买的.
特意 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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意 yì · thought · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 特意.
| 意思 | yìsi | idea; opinion |
| 愿意 | yuànyì | to wish; to want |
| 特别 | tèbié | unusual; special; very; especially; particularly |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing |
| 有意思 | yǒu yìsi | interesting; meaningful |
| 意见 | yìjiàn | idea; opinion |
| 满意 | mǎnyì | satisfied; pleased |
| 故意 | gùyì | deliberately; on purpose |
| 特点 | tèdiǎn | characteristic; trait; feature |
| 注意 | zhùyì | to take note of; to pay attention to |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree; to consent |
| 主意 | zhǔyi | plan; idea |
Questions about 特意
What does 特意 mean?
特意 (tèyì) means "specially; intentionally" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 特意?
特意 is made of 2 characters: 特 (10 strokes), 意 (13 strokes). That is 23 strokes in total.
Is 特意 an HSK word?
Yes. 特意 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 特意 and 故意?
Both mean on purpose, but 故意 (gùyì) usually describes doing something bad deliberately, like 他故意撞我 (he bumped me on purpose). 特意 is neutral or positive and suggests extra effort for someone.
Is 特意 the same as 特地?
Yes, 特地 (tèdì) has almost the same meaning and can usually replace 特意, as in 我特地来接你 (I came specially to pick you up). 特意 places a little more weight on the intention behind the action.