希き代たい

き

た

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective, noun

extraordinary; uncommon; rare; matchless

Describes something so exceptional that it is rarely seen in any era; often used for remarkable talent, beauty, or events. Can be used as a noun or adjectivally with な or の.

彼かれは希き代たいの天てん才さいと呼よばれている。
He is called an extraordinary genius.
希き代たいな美うつくしさを持もつ絵かい画がだ。
It is a painting of rare beauty.

See all 4 example sentences ›

Kanji

希hope, beg, request
代substitute, change, convert
稀rare, phenomenal, dilute (acid)

Related words

まれ
まれ simply means 'rare' or 'uncommon' in frequency, while 希代 emphasizes being exceptionally outstanding and rare across time.
非ひ凡ぼん
非凡 means 'extraordinary' or 'uncommon' in ability, but 希代 carries a stronger nuance of being historically rare or matchless.

Word family

希き代たい未み聞もん
unheard-of; unparalleled

Written forms

希代Usage45%
- きたい
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common form in modern usage.
- きだい
稀代Usage55%
- きたい
  Alternate kanji spelling using the older form of the character; less common but still encountered.
- きだい
きだい

Etymology

Compound of 希 (rare, uncommon) and 代 (era, generation), literally 'rare era'. The spelling 稀代 uses the older form of the same character. The reading きだい is a less common variant.