古今中外

• 拼音: gǔ jīn zhōng wài
• 汉字拆解: 古 = ten generations of speech — the ancient; 今 = 亼 (converging at this moment) + 一 — the present time; 中 = a vertical stroke through a rectangle — the centre, here meaning China; 外 = 夕 (evening/outside the home) + 卜 (the unknown) — outside, the foreign

含义

Throughout all ages and across all lands; in all historical periods and in all countries. Used to assert universality — that something applies or has existed across all of human history and all cultures.

A four-character set phrase (四字格): 古今 spans all time (ancient to modern) and 中外 spans all space (Chinese and foreign). Together they construct a comprehensive scope covering all human history and geography. Common in philosophical arguments, ethical claims, rhetorical assertions, and cultural comparisons. Often signals a sweeping, universal truth.

例句

1. 古今中外，无数先贤都以各自的方式探索过人类文明的本质与归宿。
2. 这部小说以古今中外的历史为背景，将不同时代、不同文化的故事巧妙地编织在一起。
3. 对于真善美的追求，是古今中外一切伟大艺术作品的共同主题。

用法指南

语境: rhetoric, philosophy, cultural comparison, academic writing, literature

语气: solemn

正确说法

• 古今中外，凡是能够长久传世的艺术作品，无一不是以真实的人性体验为根基。(Throughout all ages and across all cultures, every work of art that has endured the test of time is without exception grounded in authentic human experience.)
• 这种自私自利的人性弱点，古今中外概莫能外，并非某一特定文化或时代的独有现象。(This human weakness of self-interest is found without exception throughout all ages and all cultures; it is not a phenomenon unique to any particular civilisation or era.)

错误说法

• 将'古今中外'与'古今'互换 — 古今 spans only time (ancient to modern); 古今中外 adds the spatial dimension of all cultures and countries; they are not synonymous

起源与历史

古 (ancient) + 今 (modern/present) + 中 (China; within) + 外 (foreign; outside). A coordinate structure spanning time (古今) and space (中外) — across all eras and all places.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Educated speakers