独树一帜
dú shù yī zhì
to have a style all one’s own; to stand apart
Character by character
独dú
alone
alone
树shù
raise
raise
一yī
one
one
帜zhì
banner
banner
Example
这位导演的电影风格独树一帜，看几分钟就知道是他拍的。
This director’s style is all his own; a few minutes in, you know the film is his.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
To raise your own banner, as a commander who founds his own army. It praises a style, school or firm that follows no one: 在…领域独树一帜, 独树一帜的风格. The opposite of 人云亦云 (lesson 5-9) and of 依葫芦画瓢.
Learn this in Lesson 186 · HSK 7–9: 从山寨到原创 (From knock-offs to originals)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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