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竟然 (jìng rán) — unexpectedly; to one's surprise; actually (expressing disbelief)

Definition

Expresses strong surprise that something (especially something negative or unlikely) actually happened. Near-synonym of 居然 but with a slightly more serious or written tone; 不料 is a conjunction meaning 'unexpectedly' that connects two clauses.

adverb
unexpectedlyto one's surpriseactually (expressing disbelief)

Examples

  • 竟然。
    Jīn tiān tā jìng rán méi lái shàng bān.
    He didn't come to work today, which was unexpected.
  • ，竟然。
    Wǒ yǐ wéi kǎo shì hěn nán, jié guǒ jìng rán zhè me jiǎn dān.
    I thought the exam would be hard, but it turned out to be so simple.
  • ，竟然。
    Zhè me zhòng yào de shì, tā jìng rán wàng le.
    He actually forgot such an important matter.

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.

竟jìngunexpectedly
然rán

竟 gives the sense of surprise, and 然 completes the everyday word.

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.

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 →

Grammar

Appears in
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