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忽然 (hū rán) — suddenly, all of a sudden

Definition

A common spoken and written 'suddenly' for an unexpected, instant change. Weaker force than 猛然 / 骤然, which stress abruptness; 忽然 is the neutral everyday choice.

adverb
suddenlyall of a sudden

Examples

  • 忽然，。
    hū rán Xià qǐ le dà yǔ, wǒ men zhǐ hǎo duǒ jìn shāng diàn.
    It suddenly started raining heavily, so we had to take shelter in a shop.
  • 忽然。
    Tā hū rán xiǎng qǐ wàng le dài yào shi.
    He suddenly remembered he forgot to bring his keys.
  • 忽然，。
    hū rán Diàn huà líng xiǎng le, xià le wǒ yí tiào.
    Suddenly the phone rang, giving me a fright.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

忽hūsudden
然ránending

忽 gives the sudden sense, and 然 completes the word for suddenly.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù忽hū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

忽 combines 心, meaning heart, and 勿, used for its sound.

Open 忽 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
肰
肰rán然rán
Same sound today

然 is made from 肰, which gives the sound, and 火, which shows fire, matching the old sense 'to burn'.

Open 然 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4

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