adjective / adverb HSK 5
different · special · unusual · extremely
Meaning
殊 is a literary character that primarily means 'different' or 'special'. It appears most commonly in formal written Chinese and set phrases rather than everyday speech. When used as an adverb, it can intensify meanings to convey 'extremely' or 'exceptionally'.
Usage
This character is rarely used alone in modern Mandarin and appears primarily in fixed expressions and formal written contexts. Native speakers encounter it most often in compounds like 殊荣 (special honor), 特殊 (special), and 悬殊 (widely different). It has a literary and somewhat formal register.
Examples
- 01两种方案的结果悬殊很大。' .The results of the two plans are vastly different.
- 02他以为自己做得很好，殊不知已经犯了严重的错误。, .He thought he did well, little knowing he had already made a serious mistake.
Common collocations
- 殊不知little does one know, unaware that
- 殊死life-and-death, desperate
- 殊为extremely, especially
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines the radical 歹 (bad/death) with 朱 (vermillion/red), though the connection to the modern meaning is not transparent in contemporary usage.