Definition
徒然 is a literary adverb with two distinct uses: it can mean 'in vain' or 'to no avail,' describing an effort that produces no result, and it can also mean 'merely' or 'only,' emphasizing the limited or disappointing nature of something. It is more formal than synonyms like 白白 and appears in written or elevated speech.
adv.
in vainto no availmerelyonly
Examples
- ，徒然。Tā nǔlì le bàntiān, jiéguǒ tú rán làngfèi le shíjiān.He tried hard for a long time, but in the end it was a waste of time.
- 徒然，。Zhè tú rán shì yí gè jièkǒu, bú shì zhēnzhèng de yuányīn.This is merely an excuse, not the real reason.
- 徒然，。Wǒmen tú rán hào le yì zhěng tiān, shénme yě méi zuò chéng.We wasted an entire day in vain and accomplished nothing.
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