不同寻常

• Pinyin: bù tóng xún cháng
• Hanzi breakdown: 不 = not; 同 = 冂 (enclosure) + 一 + 口, meaning same; 寻 = to seek; 常 = 尚 (esteem) + 巾 (cloth), meaning constant/ordinary

Meaning

Unusual; out of the ordinary; extraordinary. Something that deviates from normal or expected patterns.

Can be positive (exceptional talent), neutral (strange occurrence), or negative (suspicious behavior). Often used to highlight that something warrants special attention. More literary than 不一般 or 特别.

Examples

1. 他今天的表现不同寻常，是不是遇到什么事了？ His behavior today is unusual — did something happen to him?
2. 这次考古发现意义不同寻常，可能改写历史。 This archaeological discovery has extraordinary significance and may rewrite history.
3. 她有一种不同寻常的气质，让人过目不忘。 She has an unusual quality about her that makes her unforgettable.

Usage Guide

Context: observation, analysis, description

Tone: noting

Do Say

• 今天的天气不同寻常。(The weather today is unusual.)
• 这件事有些不同寻常。(There's something unusual about this matter.)

Don't Say

• 这道菜不同寻常地好吃。(As an adverb before adjectives, use 异常 or 非常 instead — 不同寻常 works better as a predicate)

Origin & History

不同 (different from) + 寻常 (ordinary, usual). 寻常 originally referred to standard units of measurement, extending to mean ordinary or normal.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal