Meaning of 独特
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- unique; distinctive
How to use 独特
独特 describes a style, taste, flavor, view, or personality that sets something apart from others. It often comes before a noun with 的, or after 很 as a predicate. Example: 这家店的咖啡味道很独特。(Zhè jiā diàn de kāfēi wèidào hěn dútè.) The coffee at this shop has a very distinctive taste.
独 (dú) means alone or single, as in 独自 (dúzì), and 特 (tè) means special, as in 特别 (tèbié). Something that stands alone and is special is 独特: unique and distinctive.
Common mistake: Learners often use 独特 where 特别 (tèbié) is needed as an adverb, saying 独特好 instead of 特别好 (tèbié hǎo) for "especially good." 独特 is only an adjective and cannot mean "very" or "especially."
独特 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.
独 dú · alone · 9 strokes
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特 tè · special · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 独特.
| 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 |
| 单独 | dāndú | alone; by oneself |
| 独自 | dúzì | alone |
| 独立 | dúlì | independent; independence |
| 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 |
Questions about 独特
What does 独特 mean?
独特 (dútè) means "unique; distinctive" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 独特?
独特 is made of 2 characters: 独 (9 strokes), 特 (10 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 独特 an HSK word?
Yes. 独特 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 独特 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 独特 is written 獨特.
What is the difference between 独特 and 特殊?
独特 (dútè) is usually positive and praises something for being one of a kind, like a unique style. 特殊 (tèshū) is more neutral and means special or out of the ordinary, often as an exception, like 特殊情况 (tèshū qíngkuàng), a special situation.
Can 独特 describe a person?
Yes, but it usually describes a quality of the person rather than the person directly. Phrases like 独特的性格 (dútè de xìnggé), a unique personality, or 独特的眼光 (dútè de yǎnguāng), a distinctive perspective, sound most natural.