竟会 (jìng huì) — to actually (happen/do something, implying surprise), to go so far as to

Definition

竟 (jìng) marks something unexpected or surprising — 'actually' or 'to one's surprise' in writing. Stronger and more literary than simple 竟然, expressing disbelief that something turned out this way.

verb
to actually (happen/do something, implying surprise)to go so far as to
Easily confused

Examples

  • 竟会。
    Wǒ méi xiǎng dào tā jìng huì zuò chū zhè zhǒng shì.
    I didn't expect that he would actually do this kind of thing.
  • 竟会，。
    Tiān qì jìng huì zhè me lěng, zhēn shì yì wài.
    The weather actually got this cold — what a surprise.
  • 竟会，。
    Tā jìng huì jù jué le zhè ge jī huì, tài kě xī le.
    She actually turned down this opportunity — what a pity.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The origin is uncertain, but one old reading sees 竟 as 音 (sound) with 儿 (a person), meaning a person has spoken.

Open 竟 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 會; 会 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
合合héto meet
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡆧
𡆧𡆧會huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Traditional 會 pairs 合 (to meet) with 𡆧, an original form for ironware, to give the sound. The simplified 会 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 会 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.