每天成语
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格格不入

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: gé gé bù rù
  • English Translation: Out of place / Incompatible (Like a square peg in a round hole)
  • Idiom Composition: 「格格」（Originally an onomatopoeia for the sound of hard objects clashing or being obstructed; here it means being blocked or unable to penetrate.）＋「不」（Not (negation).）＋「入」（To enter, to fit in, or to blend.）
  • Meaning: Describes a state where someone or something does not fit into a particular environment, group, or set of ideas. It refers to a lack of harmony or a sense of being an outsider because of inherent differences.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「格格不入」 contains the following nuances:

  • Emphasis on Disharmony: The term implies more than just being 'different'; it suggests a sense of discomfort or friction where things do not mesh well, often resulting in a feeling of awkwardness.
  • Broad Application: It is highly versatile, used for everything from personal fashion and personality traits to abstract theories and organizational systems that fail to align with reality.

3. Usage

「格格不入」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Environment or Atmosphere: Used to describe a feeling of alienation or being an outsider when one cannot blend in with the surrounding people or vibe.
    • Example:「大家都穿着晚礼服，只有我穿着牛仔裤，显得格格不入。」
      （Everyone was wearing evening gowns, while I was in jeans, feeling completely out of place.)
  • Ideology or Values: Used to point out that a certain way of thinking or style is incompatible with an existing system or traditional values.
    • Example:「他的激进观点与这个保守的社区格格不入。」
      （His radical views are incompatible with this conservative community.)
  • Design or Architecture: Used to criticize how a new building or object fails to harmonize with the surrounding landscape or style.
    • Example:「这座现代化的摩天大楼在古城区里显得格格不入。」
      （This modern skyscraper looks out of place in the old city district.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 虽然他在国外生活多年，但回国后并没有感到格格不入。
    （Although he lived abroad for many years, he didn't feel out of place after returning home.）
  2. 这种陈旧的管理模式已经与现代企业的需求格格不入。
    （This outdated management model is no longer compatible with the needs of modern enterprises.）
  3. 他性格孤僻，总是觉得自己与这个世界格格不入。
    （He has an eccentric personality and always feels out of step with the world.）
  4. 这幅抽象画挂在中式客厅里，实在有些格格不入。
    （To be honest, hanging this abstract painting in a Chinese-style living room is a bit of a mismatch.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The term 格格 (gé gé) originally described the sound of hard objects clashing or being obstructed, preventing them from fitting together. It is linked to the concept of 扞格 (hàn gé) mentioned in the Book of Rites (礼记), which describes things that are mutually exclusive or at odds.
  • Unlike a neutral word for 'different,' this idiom often carries a slightly negative or awkward connotation, suggesting that the lack of harmony causes a problem or a sense of alienation.
  • It is widely used in both formal writing and daily conversation. It can be used for self-mockery (expressing one's own struggle to fit in) or to criticize the unsuitability of an object or idea.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

  • Similar Idioms:
    • 水火不容 (shuǐ huǒ bù róng): Incompatible like water and fire; used for things that are diametrically opposed.
    • 方枘圆凿 (fāng ruì yuán záo): Trying to put a square peg in a round hole; things that do not fit together at all.
  • Opposite Idioms:

6. Summary

格格不入 (gé gé bù rù) is used to describe a situation where a person or thing is out of sync with its surroundings, atmosphere, or existing values. It emphasizes a sense of mismatch, being 'out of place,' or 'incompatible.' It can be applied to physical disharmony as well as psychological or ideological conflicts.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

gé gé bù rù
格格不入
Out of Place
nǐ你yǒu méi yǒu有没有guò过zhè zhǒng这种gǎn jué感觉？

Have you ever had this feeling?

zài在yí gè一个rè nào热闹de的jù huì聚会lǐ里，zhōu wéi周围de的rén人dōu都zài在dà shēng大声tán xiào谈笑，tuī bēi huàn zhǎn推杯换盏，kě可nǐ你què却jué de觉得hěn很gū dú孤独，wán quán完全chā bù shàng huà插不上话，shèn zhì甚至jué de觉得zì jǐ自己duō yú多余。

At a lively party, everyone around you is talking and laughing loudly, clinking glasses, but you feel lonely, unable to join the conversation, and even feel redundant.

huò zhě或者，dāng当suǒ yǒu rén所有人dōu都jué de觉得yī jiàn一件shì qíng事情hěn很liú xíng流行、hěn很yǒu qù有趣shí时，nǐ你què却wán quán完全lǐ jiě理解bù不le了tā它hǎo好zài在nǎ lǐ哪里，xīn lǐ心里zhǐ只jué de觉得chǎo nào吵闹。

Or, when everyone thinks something is trendy and interesting, you can't understand what's good about it at all, and just feel it's noisy.

zhè zhǒng这种jiù就xiàng像shì是“pīn tú拼图pīn cuò拼错le了wèi zhì位置”yī yàng一样de的gǎn jué感觉，zhōng wén中文lǐ里yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常jīng zhǔn精准de的chéng yǔ成语，jiào叫“gé gé bù rù格格不入”。

This feeling, like a puzzle piece in the wrong place, is described by a very precise Chinese idiom called 格格不入.

zhè ge这个cí词de的huà miàn画面gǎn感hěn很qiáng强。

This word has a strong sense of imagery.

“gé gé格格”，yuán běn原本shì是xíng róng形容jiān yìng坚硬de的dōng xī东西pèng碰zài在yì qǐ一起，hù xiāng互相zǔ ài阻碍de的shēng yīn声音。

格格 originally described the sound of hard objects hitting each other and obstructing one another.

nǐ你kě yǐ可以xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，yuán xíng圆形de的gài zi盖子xiǎng yào想要gài盖zài在fāng xíng方形de的hé zi盒子shàng上，nà zhǒng那种kǎ zhù卡住le了、zěn me怎么yě也hé合bù不shàng上de的zhuàng tài状态。

You can imagine a round lid trying to cover a square box—that stuck state where it just won't fit.

“bù rù不入”，jiù shì就是róng融bù不jìn qù进去。

不入 means unable to enter or blend in.

hé合qǐ lái起来，tā它xíng róng形容de的jiù shì就是nà zhǒng那种——nǐ你hé和zhōu wéi周围de的huán jìng环境、huò zhě或者nǐ你hé和bié rén别人de的xiǎng fǎ想法，wán quán完全méi fǎ没法xié tiáo协调，bǐ cǐ彼此dǐ chù抵触de的zhuàng tài状态。

Combined, it describes a state where you and your surroundings, or you and other people's ideas, cannot coordinate at all and conflict with each other.

wǒ men我们zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中，qí shí其实hěn很róng yì容易yù dào遇到“gé gé bù rù格格不入”de的shí kè时刻。

In life, we often encounter moments of being 格格不入.

bǐ rú比如，yī zuò一座gǔ lǎo古老ān jìng安静de的sì miào寺庙，rú guǒ如果bèi被jiā夹zài在quán全shì是ní hóng dēng霓虹灯de的shāng yè商业jiē街zhōng jiān中间，kàn qǐ lái看起来jiù shì就是gé gé bù rù格格不入de的。

For example, if an ancient and quiet temple is sandwiched between commercial streets full of neon lights, it looks 格格不入.

bǐ rú比如，yí gè一个xìng gé性格nèi xiàng内向、xǐ huān喜欢ān jìng安静sī kǎo思考de的rén人，bèi pò被迫qù去cān jiā参加xuān nào喧闹de的yìng chóu应酬，nà那yī kè一刻，tā他yě也huì会gǎn dào感到gé gé bù rù格格不入。

For instance, when an introverted person who likes quiet thinking is forced to attend a noisy social event, at that moment, they will also feel 格格不入.

wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常huì会jué de觉得，zhè zhǒng这种gǎn jué感觉hěn很zāo gāo糟糕，yīn wèi因为tā它ràng让rén人gǎn dào感到gū dān孤单，hǎo xiàng好像shì是bèi被qún tǐ群体pāo qì抛弃le了。

We usually think this feeling is terrible because it makes people feel lonely, as if they have been abandoned by the group.

suǒ yǐ所以hěn很duō多rén人huì会wèi le为了xiāo chú消除zhè zhǒng这种gǎn jué感觉，qiǎng pò强迫zì jǐ自己qù去gǎi biàn改变，qù去biàn dé变得hé qún合群。

So many people force themselves to change and become sociable to eliminate this feeling.

dàn但huàn换gè个jiǎo dù角度xiǎng想，“gé gé bù rù格格不入”qí shí其实yě也shì是yī zhǒng一种xìn hào信号。

But looking at it from another perspective, 格格不入 is actually a signal.

tā它zài在tí xǐng提醒nǐ你：nǐ你yǒu有zhe着zì jǐ自己dú tè独特de的xíng zhuàng形状hé和zhì dì质地。

It reminds you that you have your own unique shape and texture.

zhèng正yīn wèi因为nǐ你méi yǒu没有yīn wèi因为huán jìng环境ér而qīng yì轻易gǎi biàn改变zì jǐ自己，bǎo liú保留le了zì jǐ自己de的léng jiǎo棱角，suǒ yǐ所以cái才huì会gǎn dào感到“bù rù不入”。

Precisely because you haven't easily changed yourself for the environment and have kept your edges, you feel 不入.

rú guǒ如果yī kuài一块ní bā泥巴，diào掉jìn进shuǐ lǐ水里，hěn很kuài快jiù就huà化le了，nà那jiù就méi yǒu没有suǒ wèi所谓de的“gé gé bù rù格格不入”le了。

If a piece of mud falls into the water, it quickly dissolves, and there is no so-called 格格不入.

zhǐ yǒu只有jiān yìng坚硬de的shí tou石头，cái才huì会hé和huán jìng环境chǎn shēng产生pèng zhuàng碰撞。

Only hard stones will collide with the environment.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己hé和zhōu wéi周围“gé gé bù rù格格不入”de的shí hòu时候，bù不xū yào需要jí zhe急着fǒu dìng否定zì jǐ自己，yě也bù bì不必fēi非yào要qiǎng pò强迫zì jǐ自己jǐ jìn挤进qù去。

So, next time you find yourself 格格不入 with your surroundings, there's no need to rush to deny yourself, nor do you have to force yourself to squeeze in.

nǐ你kě yǐ可以shāo wēi稍微tuì hòu退后yī bù一步，duì对zì jǐ自己shuō说：yě xǔ也许bú shì不是wǒ我bù gòu不够hǎo好，zhǐ shì只是zhè lǐ这里bù不shì hé适合wǒ我。

You can take a step back and say to yourself: Maybe it's not that I'm not good enough, it's just that this place doesn't suit me.

zhè zhǒng这种“bù不róng hé融合”，yǒu shí hòu有时候，qià qià恰恰shì是nǐ你jiān chí坚持zì wǒ自我de的zhèng míng证明。

This lack of fusion is sometimes exactly the proof that you are sticking to your true self.

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

造句练习📝

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