AdverbsHSK 6
Expressing the unexpected with 竟然
竟然 (or its short form 竟) is an adverb placed after the subject to express that something happened unexpectedly or contrary to what one thought. It often conveys surprise or disbelief. Remember that it must follow the subject, not lead the sentence.
Structure
Subj. + 竟然 + Verb Phrase
typically used in spoken Chinese
Subj. + 竟 + Verb Phrase
shorter, used in both spoken and written Chinese
Examples
- 他竟然没来。Tā jìng rán méi lái.He unexpectedly didn't come.
- 我竟然忘了她的生日。Wǒ jìng rán wàng le tā de shēng rì.I actually forgot her birthday.
- 这道题竟这么简单。Zhè dào tí jìng zhè me jiǎn dān.This problem turned out to be so simple.
- 你竟然不知道这件事？Nǐ jìng rán bù zhī dào zhè jiàn shì?You actually don't know about this?
- 他们竟把房子卖了。Tā men jìng bǎ fáng zi mài le.They unexpectedly sold the house.