About
The character for surprise, 讶, derives from its traditional form 訝, a structure that clearly indicates its original semantic field through the speech radical 言 combined with 牙, a component that hints at its pronunciation but also visually suggests an open mouth, an apt depiction for expressions of exclamation. In its earliest classical uses, this character was not exclusively tied to astonishment but was more broadly associated with verbal acts of greeting, meeting, or even questioning and disputing. Over time, however, its meaning narrowed considerably and solidified around the specific concept of being startled or showing wonder, a semantic shift that moved it away from general speech acts and firmly into the realm of expressing a reactive emotional state. This refined meaning is now its sole and fixed purpose in the modern language, entirely shedding its earlier, more procedural verbal connotations.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我对这个决定很惊讶。
她脸上露出惊讶的表情。
孩子们对魔术表演感到讶异。
听到他突然辞职，大家都很惊讶。
我毫不惊讶他会成功。
你为什么对此事感到讶异？
尽管事先有准备，我们还是讶异于他的速度。
令人讶异的是，这个方案竟然获得了全票通过。