adjective HSK 5
Traditional 罕見
rare · seldom seen · unusual
Meaning
罕见 describes something that occurs very infrequently or is difficult to encounter. It emphasizes rarity in terms of observation or experience, suggesting that the thing in question is uncommon in everyday life.
Usage
This is a formal to neutral term commonly used in written Chinese and educated speech. It often appears in news reports, academic writing, and formal discussions to describe rare phenomena, events, or objects. Native speakers use it to emphasize the exceptional nature of something.
Examples
- 01这种鸟在中国北方非常罕见。.This kind of bird is very rare in northern China.
- 02她患了一种罕见的疾病，全世界只有几百个病例。, .She has a rare disease with only a few hundred cases worldwide.
Characters
Common collocations
- 罕见的现象rare phenomenon
- 极为罕见extremely rare
- 罕见病rare disease
- 十分罕见very rare
Antonyms
Origin
The character 罕 originally depicted a type of hunting net that was rarely used, thus coming to mean 'rare.' Combined with 见 (to see), 罕见 literally means 'rarely seen.'