How to say “unexpectedly” in Chinese
unexpectedly, to one's surprise
“Unexpectedly” in Chinese is 竟然, jìng rán: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
竟然 is read jìng rán: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
It hints at the sound of 境 jìng and 镜 jìng.
At the bottom, 灬 “fire”.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “竟然”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 竟然. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 他竟然忘了我的生日。tājìngránwànglewǒdeshēngrìCan you believe it — he forgot my birthday.
More words from the lesson “Moved and amazed”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “unexpectedly” in Chinese?
“Unexpectedly” in Chinese is 竟然, pinyin jìngrán.
What does 竟然 mean?
竟然 (jìngrán) means “unexpectedly, to one's surprise”.
How do you write 竟然?
竟然 is 2 characters: 竟 (jìng) — in the end; unexpectedly; 然 (rán) — so; however. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 竟然?
竟然 is read jìngrán. Tones: jìng — fourth tone, rán — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“unexpectedly” in the lesson “Moved and amazed”
This word is from the topic “Feelings and mood” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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