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断然 (duàn rán) — (adjective) resolute, firm, decisive; (adverb) categorically, absolutely (before a negative verb)

Definition

断然 (duànrán) emphasizes firm refusal or denial — used as an adjective for a resolute attitude and as an adverb (often before negatives like 否认, 拒绝) to mean 'categorically.' More about absolute stance than inner resolve, which is what 坚定 covers.

adjective
resolutefirmdecisive
adverb
categoricallyabsolutely (before a negative verb)

Examples

  • 断然。
    Tā yòng duàn rán de yǔ qì jù jué le duì fāng de qǐng qiú.
    He rejected the other party's request with a resolute tone.
  • ，断然。
    Duì yú zhè zhǒng yáo yán, gōng sī duàn rán jǐ yǔ fǒu rèn.
    The company categorically denied this kind of rumor.
  • 断然，。
    Tā de tài dù shí fēn duàn rán, méi yǒu rèn hé shāng liang de yú dì.
    His attitude is very resolute, with no room for negotiation.

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.

断duàndecide
然ránsuffix

The decisive sense of 断 combined with 然 gives 'firmly, absolutely'.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 斷; 断 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 斷 uses 𢇍 (to cut) and 斤 (axe) together.

Open 断 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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