天书

天書

tiānshū

noun #31,254

Meanings

1 heavenly book
2 imperial edict
3 indecipherable writing
4 gibberish

Characters

Examples

HSK 2

他的字像天书，谁都看不懂。

Tā de zì xiàng tiānshū, shéi dōu kàn bù dǒng.

His handwriting looks like alien script - nobody can read it.

HSK 3

这本数学书对我来说就是天书。

Zhè běn shùxué shū duì wǒ láishuō jiùshì tiānshū.

This math book is total Greek to me.

Tips

usage

Originally 'heavenly book' (a divine text or imperial decree). In modern colloquial use it's the equivalent of English 'It's all Greek to me', text that's impossible to read or understand. The pattern 像天书一样 / 跟天书似的 is very common.

Stroke Order

天 tiān

书 shū