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The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.
Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.
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Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.
difference
unusual
exceptional
variation
flabbergasted
virtually the same
monstrous
daily renewal, monthly change
different mouths, same voice
the opposite sex
Notice where 异 sits in each complete thought.
The north and south differ greatly from each other.
Source: Tatoeba #12422361 · CC BY 2.0 FR"So how do you find Mary?" "She looks rather unusual."
Source: Tatoeba #9779571 · CC BY 2.0 FRHe graduated from Cambridge with honors.
Source: Tatoeba #334577 · CC BY 2.0 FRIf you understand this one, then the others are nearly the same.
Source: Tatoeba #1062669 · CC BY 2.0 FR"Are you hetero or lesbian?" "I am hetero."
Source: Tatoeba #10265948 · CC BY 2.0 FRThere are subtle differences between the two pictures.
Source: Tatoeba #1426551 · CC BY 2.0 FRDefinitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.