独一无二
- Literal
- solely one, without a second
- Figurative
- Truly one of a kind, with nothing comparable to set beside it, whether for being excellent, unusual, or unrepeatable.
Where does 独一无二 come from?
It does not come from a particular story: it is a set formula built on two parallel halves that say the same thing from opposite sides —独一, "solely one," asserts; 无二, "without a second," denies— so that uniqueness is stated twice over, and that reinforcement gives it the emphatic ring it has today in conversation and in advertising. Next to 天下无双, which is literary and kept for the exceptional — a talent, a work, a feat — 独一无二 is everyday and fits anything there is only one of: an object, a place, a person. And where 与众不同 says that something is out of the ordinary, 独一无二 says there is no other like it.
How is 独一无二 used? Two examples
- 每个孩子都是独一无二的，别老拿他们比较。
Every child is one of a kind — stop comparing them all the time.
- 这家店的味道独一无二，别的地方吃不到。
The flavor at this place is one of a kind; you won't find it anywhere else.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
