罕见

• Pinyin: hǎn jiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 罕 = 冂 (enclosure) + 干 (dry, sparse) — a sparse net, rarely catching anything; 见 = 目 (eye) + 儿 — to see

Meaning

Rare; uncommon — seldom seen or encountered.

Used across medical, scientific, cultural, and everyday contexts to describe phenomena, species, talents, or events that occur infrequently. 罕见病 (rare disease) is a key medical compound. More emphatic than 少见 and suggests genuine scarcity rather than mere infrequency.

Examples

1. 这种鸟类在全球范围内数量极少，属于极为罕见的濒危物种，受到国际自然保护组织的重点关注。 This bird species is extremely scarce worldwide; it is a very rare endangered species and a key focus of international conservation organizations.
2. 此次展览展出了多件来自私人收藏的罕见文物，其中包括几件迄今从未公开展示过的珍品。 The exhibition displayed many rare cultural artifacts from private collections, including several treasures that have never been shown publicly before.
3. 他在这场国际钢琴比赛中的表现被评委一致誉为罕见的天才水准，令全场为之倾倒。 The judges unanimously praised his performance in the international piano competition as a rare level of genius, captivating the entire audience.

Usage Guide

Context: science, medicine, culture, journalism

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 这种地质构造在世界上极为罕见，因此该地区已被列入世界自然遗产候选名录。(This geological formation is extremely rare worldwide, and the area has therefore been listed as a candidate for the World Natural Heritage List.)
• 医生告知患者，他所患的是一种罕见的自身免疫性疾病，全球确诊病例不足五百例。(The doctor informed the patient that he had contracted a rare autoimmune disease with fewer than five hundred confirmed cases worldwide.)

Don't Say

• 罕见 for things that are simply uncommon or unfashionable — 罕见 implies genuine scarcity; for things that are merely unusual use 不常见 or 少见

Origin & History

罕 (rare, sparse) + 见 (to see, to encounter) — seldom seen

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal