特别 (tèbié)

特别 means special, extraordinary, or out of the ordinary as an adjective, and "especially" or "particularly" as an adverb emphasizing degree.

Meanings

[adj] special; extraordinary; unusual; out of the ordinary
[adv] especially; particularly; in particular; very

Example Sentences

今天是个特别的日子，我永远不会忘记。 Jīntiān shì gè tèbié de rìzi, wǒ yǒngyuǎn bù huì wàngjì. Today is a special day that I will never forget.

我特别喜欢在秋天去山里爬山。 Wǒ tèbié xǐhuān zài qiūtiān qù shānlǐ páshān. I especially like hiking in the mountains in autumn.

这家餐厅没有什么特别之处，价格却高得离谱。 Zhè jiā cāntīng méiyǒu shénme tèbié zhī chù, jiàgé què gāo de lípǔ. This restaurant has nothing particularly special about it, yet the prices are absurdly high.

她在面试中给人留下了特别深刻的印象。 Tā zài miànshì zhōng gěi rén liúxiàle tèbié shēnkè de yìnxiàng. She left a particularly deep impression during the interview.

这位艺术家的作品风格特别，很容易辨认。 Zhè wèi yìshùjiā de zuòpǐn fēnggé tèbié, hěn róngyì biànrèn. This artist's work style is very distinctive and easily recognizable.

此次会议特别针对气候变化问题展开讨论。 Cǐ cì huìyì tèbié zhēnduì qìhòu biànhuà wèntí zhǎnkāi tǎolùn. This conference specifically targeted climate change issues for discussion.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
特别是	especially; in particular
特别之处	something special about it
特别重要	especially important
特别注意	pay special attention
特别活动	special event
没有特别	nothing special

Usage Notes

特别 functions as both an adjective and an adverb, making it very flexible. As an adverb, it is nearly synonymous with 尤其 (yóuqí, especially) and 格外 (géwài, particularly), but 特别 is the most commonly used of the three in everyday speech.

Note that 特别是 (especially..., in particular...) is a very common phrase used to single out the most important example in a list: 我喜欢很多运动，特别是游泳 (I like many sports, especially swimming).

Memory Hook

特 = special (also in 特殊 -- special/unusual), 别 = different/other -- specially different -- special, particularly so.