偏僻

• Pinyin: piān pì
• Hanzi breakdown: 偏 = 亻 + 扁 (person + off-centre — not at the centre); 僻 = 亻 + 辟 (person + to open/banish — away from the main path)

Meaning

Remote and out-of-the-way; describing a location that is far from urban centres, main roads, or centres of activity, implying poor accessibility.

偏僻 emphasises remoteness and poor accessibility, often implying inconvenience or underdevelopment. Contrast with 僻静, which stresses quietness. Key collocations: 偏僻的山村, 偏僻的街道, 地处偏僻. Also used figuratively for obscure or unusual knowledge.

Examples

1. 这所学校位于偏僻的山区，受过专业培训的教师极度匮乏，教育资源严重不足。 This school is located in a remote mountain area, where there is a severe shortage of professionally trained teachers and educational resources are seriously lacking.
2. 他无意间发现了一家藏在偏僻小巷里的旧书店，里面陈列的珍本善册令他流连忘返。 He happened to find an old bookstore tucked away in a secluded alley, and the rare and valuable volumes inside kept him from wanting to leave.
3. 随着乡村振兴政策的深入推进，越来越多偏僻的农村地区开始接入宽带网络和现代公共服务体系。 As the rural revitalization policy moves forward, more and more remote rural areas are gaining access to broadband internet and modern public services.

Usage Guide

Context: geography, rural development, travel, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 地处偏僻的山区村庄长期面临交通不便、医疗资源匮乏和年轻劳动力外流等多重困境，亟需针对性的政策支持与基础设施投入。(Mountain villages situated in remote locations have long faced multiple difficulties including poor transport links, scarce medical resources, and the outflow of young labour — they urgently need targeted policy support and infrastructure investment.)
• 这家餐厅地处偏僻，距离市中心需要驾车四十分钟，但慕名而来的食客络绎不绝，足见其菜肴品质在口耳相传中已积累了相当高的声誉。(This restaurant is in a remote location, a forty-minute drive from the city centre, yet a steady stream of diners comes especially to visit — a testament to the considerable reputation its cuisine has built through word of mouth.)

Don't Say

• 这个地方偏僻很漂亮 — add a concessive connector: 这个地方虽然偏僻，但风景非常漂亮

Origin & History

偏 (off to one side, not central) + 僻 (secluded, out of the way — 亻 + 辟) — off to the side and away from the main path

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal