日新月异

• Pinyin: rì xīn yuè yì
• Hanzi breakdown: 日 = day; 新 = 亲 + 斤 (close + axe = new/fresh); 月 = moon/month; 异 = 巳 + 廾 (different/unusual)

Meaning

Changing with each passing day; advancing rapidly. Describes remarkably fast development or transformation.

A four-character idiom (成语) expressing astonishment at the pace of change, most commonly used for technology, society, or science. Carries a positive connotation emphasising progress and innovation. Originates from 《礼记·大学》: 汤之盘铭曰：苟日新，日日新，又日新。

Examples

1. 科学技术日新月异，我们必须持续学习才能跟上时代发展的步伐。 Science and technology are advancing at an astonishing pace, and we have to keep learning to stay in step with the times.
2. 改革开放以来，中国各地的面貌发生了日新月异的深刻变化。 Since the start of reform and opening up, places across China have undergone rapid and profound changes.
3. 人工智能领域的发展日新月异，令许多传统行业措手不及。 Developments in artificial intelligence are moving at breakneck speed, catching many traditional industries off guard.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, society, education

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 互联网技术日新月异，从根本上颠覆了传统媒体长期形成的商业模式。(Internet technology is changing at a breathtaking pace, fundamentally upending the long-established business models of traditional media.)
• 城市建设日新月异，短短十年间高楼林立，面貌焕然一新。(Urban construction is advancing rapidly; in just ten years, skyscrapers have risen and the cityscape has been completely transformed.)

Don't Say

• 他的脾气日新月异 — the idiom applies to progress and development, not personality; use 他的脾气变化无常 instead

Origin & History

日新 (renewing day by day) + 月异 (changing month by month) — from 《礼记·大学》

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal