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大相径庭

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: dà xiāng jìng tíng
  • English Translation: Vastly different (poles apart)
  • Idiom Composition: 「大」（Greatly; significantly）＋「相」（Mutually; to each other）＋「径」（A small path or track outside a gate）＋「庭」（A courtyard or front hall of a house）
  • Meaning: Describes a situation where two things, opinions, or outcomes are extremely different or poles apart. It emphasizes a significant gap or discrepancy, suggesting that the two subjects are as far apart as a path outside a gate and an inner courtyard.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「大相径庭」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Spatial Metaphor of Path and Courtyard: In this idiom, 径 (jìng) refers to the path outside the gate, while 庭 (tíng) refers to the courtyard in front of the main hall. Because these two areas are spatially separated, they became a metaphor for things that are widely divergent or inconsistent.
  • Comparative Context: This idiom is almost always used in a comparative context involving two subjects (A and B). The most common grammatical structure is 'A 与 (yǔ) B 大相径庭,' meaning 'A and B are vastly different.'

3. Usage

「大相径庭」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Disagreement in opinions: Used when the views or claims of two parties are completely incompatible or opposite during a discussion or meeting.
    • Example:「虽然他们是双胞胎，但在政治观点上却大相径庭。」
      （Although they are twins, they are poles apart in their political views.)
  • Discrepancy between expectation and reality: Used when the actual outcome of an event is significantly different from what was previously predicted or expected.
    • Example:「实际的销售额与我们年初的预测大相径庭。」
      （The actual sales figures were vastly different from the forecast we made at the beginning of the year.)
  • Difference in nature or style: A formal expression used to explain that the nature of two works, cultures, or habits is fundamentally different.
    • Example:「这两本书虽然题目相似，但内容风格大相径庭。」
      （Although these two books have similar titles, their content styles are worlds apart.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 他的生活方式与传统的价值观大相径庭。
    （His lifestyle is completely at odds with traditional values.）
  2. 这两个方案的预算大相径庭，我们需要仔细比较。
    （The budgets for these two proposals are vastly different, so we need to compare them carefully.）
  3. 事实真相往往与流言蜚语大相径庭。
    （The truth is often poles apart from rumors and gossip.）
  4. 现在的气候条件与五十年前相比已经大相径庭。
    （Current climate conditions are already vastly different compared to fifty years ago.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Source: This idiom originates from the 'Free and Easy Wandering' (逍遥游 - Xiāoyáo Yóu) chapter of the Zhuangzi (庄子). It originally appeared as 大有径庭 (dà yǒu jìng tíng), describing a story that was so far-fetched it felt as distant as the space between a gate-path and a courtyard.
  • Usage Note: 大相径庭 (dà xiāng jìng tíng) specifically emphasizes a large gap or contradiction. It is not used to simply say things are 'unrelated'; it requires a basis for comparison between two entities.
  • Writing Tip: Be careful not to confuse 庭 (tíng - courtyard) with the similar-sounding 廷 (tíng - royal court) when writing the characters.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 大相径庭 (dà xiāng jìng tíng) is used to describe two things that are worlds apart. It highlights a fundamental divergence rather than a minor variation. It is commonly used to describe conflicting opinions, discrepancies between expectations and reality, or contrasting styles.

Idiom Essay

dà xiāng jìng tíng
大相径庭
Worlds Apart
shēng huó生活zhōng中，wǒ men我们jīng cháng经常huì会bǐ jiào比较liǎng jiàn两件shì wù事物。

In life, we often compare two things.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，qū bié区别hěn很xiǎo小，bǐ rú比如liǎng jiàn两件yī fú衣服yán sè颜色shāo wēi稍微yǒu diǎn有点bù tóng不同；yǒu shí hòu有时候，qū bié区别bǐ jiào比较dà大，bǐ rú比如yí gè一个shì是yuán圆de的，yí gè一个shì是fāng方de的。

Sometimes the difference is small, like two pieces of clothing with slightly different colors; sometimes the difference is larger, like one being round and the other square.

dàn shì但是，rú guǒ如果liǎng jiàn两件shì wù事物de的chā bié差别dà大dào到le了ràng让nǐ你gǎn dào感到jīng yà惊讶，shèn zhì甚至wán quán完全xiāng fǎn相反，gāi该zěn me shuō ne怎么说呢？

But if the difference between two things is so great that it surprises you, or they are even completely opposite, how do you say that?

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常yǒu有lì liàng力量de的chéng yǔ成语，jiào叫“dà xiāng jìng tíng大相径庭”。

In Chinese, there is a very powerful idiom called 大相径庭.

zhè ge这个cí词tīng qǐ lái听起来yǒu diǎn有点fù zá复杂，dàn但wǒ men我们kě yǐ可以bǎ把tā它chāi kāi拆开lái来kàn看。

This term sounds a bit complex, but we can break it down.

“jìng径”，zhǐ指de的shì是mén wài门外de的xiǎo lù小路；“tíng庭”，zhǐ指de的shì是kuān chǎng宽敞de的tíng yuàn庭院。

径 refers to a small path outside a door; 庭 refers to a spacious courtyard.

zài在gǔ rén古人yǎn lǐ眼里，cóng从xiá zhǎi狭窄de的xiǎo lù小路zǒu走dào到kuān kuò宽阔de的tíng yuàn庭院，zhōng中jiàn gé间隔zhe着hěn yuǎn很远de的jù lí距离，huán jìng环境yě也wán quán完全bù tóng不同。

In the eyes of the ancients, the distance from a narrow path to a wide courtyard was very far, and the environments were completely different.

suǒ yǐ所以，“dà xiāng jìng tíng大相径庭”jiù shì就是yòng lái用来xíng róng形容——bǐ cǐ彼此xiāng chà相差dé得fēi cháng非常yuǎn远，shèn zhì甚至wán quán完全máo dùn矛盾。

Therefore, 大相径庭 is used to describe things that are very far apart or even completely contradictory.

wǒ men我们shén me shí hòu什么时候huì会yòng用dào到tā它ne呢？

When do we use it?

tōng cháng通常bú shì不是yòng lái用来xíng róng形容liǎng zhǐ两只píng guǒ苹果zhǎng长dé得bù不xiàng像，ér shì而是yòng lái用来xíng róng形容gèng更chōu xiàng抽象de的dōng xī东西，bǐ rú比如guān diǎn观点、jié guǒ结果，huò zhě或者yù qī预期。

Usually, it is not used to describe two apples that look different, but rather more abstract things like opinions, results, or expectations.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，nǐ你dú读le了yī běn一本fēi cháng非常gǎn rén感人de的xiǎo shuō小说，mǎn huái满怀qī dài期待dì地qù去kàn看le了gǎi biān改编de的diàn yǐng电影。

Imagine you read a very moving novel and went to see the movie adaptation with high expectations.

jié guǒ结果nǐ你fā xiàn发现，diàn yǐng电影de的jù qíng剧情gǎi改dé得luàn qī bā zāo乱七八糟，yuán běn原本bēi shāng悲伤de的jié jú结局jìng rán竟然biàn chéng变成le了xǐ jù喜剧。

As it turns out, you find the movie's plot is a mess, and the originally sad ending has actually become a comedy.

zhè shí hòu这时候，nǐ你jiù就kě yǐ可以shuō说：“zhè这bù部diàn yǐng电影de的qíng jié情节，hé和yuán zhù原著dà xiāng jìng tíng大相径庭。”

At this time, you can say: 'The plot of this movie is 大相径庭 from the original work.'

huò zhě或者，zài在yī cì一次huì yì会议shàng上，nǐ你jué de觉得mǒu某gè个jì huà计划fēi cháng非常wán měi完美，dàn但nǐ你de的tóng shì同事què却jué de觉得tā它chōng mǎn充满fēng xiǎn风险，wán quán完全bù不kě xíng可行。

Or, at a meeting, you think a plan is perfect, but your colleague thinks it is full of risks and completely unfeasible.

nǐ men你们liǎng gè两个rén人de的kàn fǎ看法，bú shì不是zhǐ yǒu只有yì diǎn diǎn一点点fēn qí分歧，ér shì而是gēn běn根本bù不zài在tóng yī gè同一个pín dào频道shàng上。

The views of you two don't just have a small disagreement; you are simply not on the same wavelength.

zhè这yě也shì是“dà xiāng jìng tíng大相径庭”。

This is also 大相径庭.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语bǐ比pǔ tōng普通de的“bù yí yàng不一样”yào要qiáng liè强烈dé得duō多。

This idiom is much stronger than the ordinary 'different.'

tā它dài带zhe着yī zhǒng一种“duàn liè断裂gǎn感”——jiù就xiàng像liǎng两gè个rén人bèi duì bèi背对背zǒu走zài在bù tóng不同de的lù shàng路上，yuè越zǒu走yuè越yuǎn远。

It carries a sense of 'disconnection'—like two people walking on different paths with their backs to each other, getting further and further apart.

xué huì学会shǐ yòng使用“dà xiāng jìng tíng大相径庭”，qí shí其实shì是zài在tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：shì jiè世界shàng上de的shì qíng事情，bìng并bù不zǒng shì总是xiāng sì相似huò或jiē jìn接近de的。

Learning to use 大相径庭 is actually a reminder to us: things in the world are not always similar or close.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，lǐ xiǎng理想hé和xiàn shí现实zhī jiān之间，huò zhě或者rén人hé和rén人de的xiǎng fǎ想法zhī jiān之间，què shí确实cún zài存在zhe着jù dà巨大de的hóng gōu鸿沟。

Sometimes, there is indeed a huge gap between ideals and reality, or between people's ideas.

dāng当wǒ men我们néng能zhǔn què准确dì地yòng用“dà xiāng jìng tíng大相径庭”lái来miáo shù描述zhè zhǒng这种chā jù差距shí时，wǒ men我们yě也jiù就gèng更róng yì容易jiē shòu接受zhè zhǒng这种“bù tóng不同”de的cún zài存在le了。

When we can accurately use 大相径庭 to describe this gap, it becomes easier for us to accept the existence of such 'differences.'

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

造句练习📝

Try creating sentences using '大相径庭'!

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