出现

• Pinyin: chū xiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 出 = to come out; 现 = 王 (jade) + 见 (to see) — something precious appearing before one's eyes

Meaning

To appear; to emerge; to occur. Used when something comes into view or existence.

Used for both physical appearances (a person showing up) and abstract occurrences (a problem arising). Very common in both spoken and written Chinese, often used in news and daily conversation.

Examples

1. 天空中出现了一道彩虹。 A rainbow appeared in the sky.
2. 最近工作上出现了一些问题。 Some problems have recently come up at work.
3. 他突然出现在我面前，吓了我一跳。 He suddenly appeared in front of me and gave me a fright.

Usage Guide

Context: events, problems, phenomena

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个问题经常出现。(This problem occurs frequently.)
• 雨停以后出现了彩虹。(A rainbow appeared after the rain stopped.)

Don't Say

• 不要混淆出现和出席 — 出现 means to appear or occur, while 出席 means to attend an event or meeting.

Origin & History

Compound of 出 (to come out) and 现 (to appear, to show). Together they emphasize something coming into view or existence.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal