稀罕

• Pinyin: xī han
• Hanzi breakdown: 稀 = 禾 + 希 (grain + scarce); 罕 = 干 + 网 (simplified — net with few catches, meaning rare)

Meaning

Rare and precious; to regard as rare; to covet or care about something. Can be used as an adjective meaning uncommon/unusual or as a verb meaning to value highly.

More colloquial than 稀有. As a verb, often appears in negative constructions: 不稀罕 means 'not to care about' or 'not to covet.' Common in spoken Chinese and regional dialects.

Examples

1. 在那个年代，自行车是十分稀罕的物件，能拥有一辆令人羡慕。 Back then, a bicycle was a rare and precious item, and owning one was something people envied.
2. 她说自己根本不稀罕那份高薪工作，因为它会剥夺她陪伴家人的时间。 She said she doesn’t care at all about that high-paying job, because it would take away her time with her family.
3. 集市上卖的都是平日里难得一见的稀罕货，吸引了大批好奇的市民。 The market sold all kinds of rare goods you don’t usually see, drawing crowds of curious residents.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, spoken, folk culture, market

Tone: light

Do Say

• 改革开放初期，白糖、棉布、肥皂这些日用品都很稀罕，常要凭票排队，能一次买够已算幸运。(In the early years of Reform and Opening Up, everyday items like sugar, cotton cloth, and soap were quite rare, often requiring coupons and queues; buying enough at once was already lucky.)
• 许多老人回忆，小时候只有过年才能吃肉，平日里猪肉很稀罕，全家分一块红烧肉的场景至今难忘。(Many elderly people recall that as children they could only eat meat during New Year, because pork was rare on ordinary days; the family sharing one piece of braised pork is still unforgettable.)

Don't Say

• 稀罕 in formal written Chinese — in formal registers use 稀有 or 罕见 instead; 稀罕 has a distinctly colloquial or dialectal flavour and may seem stylistically inconsistent in academic papers, official documents, or formal speeches

Origin & History

稀 (sparse, rare) + 罕 (rare, seldom) — both characters convey rarity, combined for emphasis; 罕 = 干 + 网 (net with few catches — scarce)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal