突兀 tūwù lofty
lofty; towering; sudden; abrupt
How to remember 突兀: 突 sudden + 兀 pedestal = lofty.
Characters
How it is used
- Mainly: jarringly abrupt, out of place - 话题转得很突兀 (huàtí zhuǎn de hěn tūwù) the topic shifted abruptly and awkwardly.
- Original sense is 'towering/lofty' (山峰突兀), still seen in literary description.
- Contrast 突然 (tūrán, suddenly, neutral timing): 突兀 adds the sense of being unexpected and ill-fitting.