日新月异
- Literal
- new by the day, different by the month
- Figurative
- To change and renew itself so fast that what you saw a short while ago looks nothing like what is there now.
Where does 日新月异 come from?
The first half points back to a famous line from the 《大学》, preserved in the 《礼记》: the inscription King Tang of Shang is said to have kept carved on his bathing tub, 苟日新，日日新，又日新 ("if you renew yourself one day, renew yourself every day, and again"). That is where 日新, "renewing daily," comes from. The four-character form is later, and adds the parallel of 日/月 and 新/异 to describe fast, continuous change. Today it is said mostly of technology, cities, and society, almost always approvingly.
Source (出处): 《礼记·大学》
How is 日新月异 used? Two examples
- 这几年技术日新月异，两年前的手机都嫌旧了。
Technology has been moving so fast these past few years that a two-year-old phone already feels dated.
- 老家这几年日新月异，我都快认不出来了。
My hometown has changed so much these past few years that I barely recognize it.
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