悄然 (qiǎo rán) — quietly, softly (without making a sound or attracting notice); sorrowfully, sadly (with a melancholy air)

Definition

Literary adverb meaning 'quietly / softly' (in silence) or 'sorrowfully' (with a quiet sadness). Common in written narration of mood, not in everyday speech.

adverb
quietlysoftly (without making a sound or attracting notice)sorrowfullysadly (with a melancholy air)

Examples

  • 悄然，。
    Tā qiǎo rán lí kāi le fáng jiān, méi yǒu jīng dòng rèn hé rén.
    He quietly left the room without disturbing anyone.
  • ，悄然。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā qiǎo rán luò lèi.
    Upon hearing the news, she wept sorrowfully.
  • 悄然，。
    Yè sè qiǎo rán, zhǐ yǒu yuǎn chù de dēng huǒ shǎn shuò.
    The night was quiet and still, with only distant lights flickering.

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.

悄qiāoquiet
然ránmanner

悄 supplies the sense of quietness, and 然 supplies a manner sense.

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào悄qiǎo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

悄 is made from 忄, a form of 心 meaning heart, and 肖, which provides the sound.

Open 悄 →

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 →

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