How to say “unexpectedly” in Chinese
unexpectedly, to one's surprise
“Unexpectedly” in Chinese is 居然, jū rán: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
居然 is read jū 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 in 据 jù.
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 “居然”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 居然. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 这么难的题，他居然做对了。zhèmenándetí,tājūránzuòduìleSuch a hard problem, and would you believe it, he solved it correctly.
- 他居然骗了我tājūránpiànlewǒWould you believe it — he tricked me!
More words from the lesson “As expected”
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 居然, pinyin jūrán.
What does 居然 mean?
居然 (jūrán) means “unexpectedly, to one's surprise”.
How do you write 居然?
居然 is 2 characters: 居 (jū) — live; dwelling; 然 (rán) — so; however. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 居然?
居然 is read jūrán. Tones: jū — first tone, rán — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“unexpectedly” in the lesson “As expected”
This word is from the topic “Opinions and arguments” of HSK 5. 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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