既然 — since

既然

jìrán

since, now that

conjunction · HSK 4 · topic “University and goals”

How to pronounce it

既然 is read jì rán: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.

jì — 4th tonesharply falling, like “Stop!”

rán — 2nd tonerising, like a surprised “huh?”

How to write it

既

jì — already; since

Often comes in a pair: 既… 又… — “both… and…”.

然

rán — so; however

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 “既然”.

Examples

Sentences from the course lessons with 既然. Tap the sound icon to listen.

既然报名了，就好好准备吧。jìránbàomíngle,jiùhǎohǎozhǔnbèibaSince you've signed up, prepare properly.
既然定了目标就不要放弃jìrándìnglemùbiāo,jiùbúyàofàngqìSince you've set a goal, don't give up.
既然开始了就别放弃jìránkāishǐle,jiùbiéfàngqìSince you've started, don't quit.

More words from the lesson “The gaokao and your major”

Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.

Frequently asked questions

What does 既然 mean?

既然 (jìrán) means “since, now that”.

How do you write 既然?

既然 is 2 characters: 既 (jì) — already; since; 然 (rán) — so; however. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.

How do you pronounce 既然?

既然 is read jìrán. Tones: jì — fourth tone, rán — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.

“since” in the lesson “The gaokao and your major”

This word is from the topic “University and goals” 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.

Start for free