冷不防 (lěng bu fáng) — suddenly, unawares | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

An adverb meaning 'caught unawares' — stresses that the subject had no warning or time to react, often paired with 被 to mark the affected party. Closer to 'by surprise' than simply 突然 (which just means 'suddenly' without the unprepared angle).

adverb

suddenlyunawares

Examples

，冷不防。
Tiān tū rán xià qǐ yǔ lái, wǒ lěng bu fáng bèi lín shī le.
It suddenly started raining, and I was caught off guard and got wet.
冷不防，。
Tā lěng bu fáng cóng hòu miàn pāi le wǒ yí xià, xià le wǒ yí tiào.
He suddenly patted me from behind, scaring me.
冷不防。
Xiǎo tōu lěng bu fáng shēn shǒu qiǎng zǒu le tā de bāo.
The thief suddenly reached out and snatched her bag.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

不防not guarding

不bùnot防fángguard

偏正Modifier + head

「冷」 suggests a sudden turn and 「不防」 means not guarding, so it happens unawares.

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.

冫令冷

Meaning part形符xíngfú

冫Written in full as仌bīngice

Sound part声符shēngfú

令

令lìng冷lěng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

冷 uses 冫, the ice form, with 令 as a sound part, to mean cold as ice.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

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

阝方防

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

方

方fāng防fáng

Same sound today

防 pairs 阝 (written fully as 阜) with 方, which gives the sound.

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