Definition
迥然不同 is a formal four-character idiom meaning 'utterly different' or 'poles apart'. The adverb 迥然 ('far apart, markedly') intensifies 不同 ('not the same'), so the phrase carries a strong sense of clear contrast — not just 'different' but 'strikingly, obviously different'. It is often used to compare two things that are so distinct they cannot be confused. Use it in written or formal spoken Chinese; it sounds more literary than just 很不一样.
f.e.
utterly differentdistinctly differentpoles apart
Examples
- 迥然不同，。Zhè liǎng zhǒng guāndiǎn jiǒng rán bù tóng, hěn nán tiáohé.These two viewpoints are utterly different and hard to reconcile.
- 迥然不同，。Tā de xìnggé yǔ yǐqián jiǒng rán bù tóng, xiàng biàn le yí ge rén.His personality is completely different from before, as if he's become a different person.
- 迥然不同，。Zhōngxīfāng wénhuà jiǒng rán bù tóng, dàn gè yǒu tèsè.Chinese and Western cultures are poles apart, but each has its own characteristics.
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