Definition
任意 (rèn yì) means 'arbitrary, unrestricted, at will, any'. As an adjective it goes before nouns (任意一个学生 'any student'); as an adverb it modifies verbs (任意选择 'choose at will'). It can have a neutral or negative connotation of arbitrariness. 随意 (suí yì) is milder ('as one wishes, voluntary'), while 乱/胡乱 emphasize randomness or carelessness.
adjective
arbitraryunrestrictedany (used before a noun or 一个)
adverb
at willarbitrarilyas one pleases
Examples
- 任意。Nǐ bù néng rèn yì jìnrù zhège fángjiān.You cannot enter this room at will.
- 任意。rèn yì yí gè xuéshēng dōu kěyǐ cānjiā bǐsài.Any student can participate in the competition.
- 任意。Tā rèn yì xuǎn le sān ge hàomǎ.He arbitrarily/randomly chose three numbers.
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