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The word 竟然 is formed by combining the character 竟, which here conveys the meaning of "unexpected" or "actually", with the character 然, which functions as an adverbial suffix indicating manner or state. Together, they create an adverb that expresses surprise or an unforeseen outcome, meaning "unexpectedly" or "to one's surprise".

Example Sentences Hide

他今天竟然迟到了。

Tā jīntiān jìngrán chídào le.

He was actually late today.

这么重要的事情他竟然忘记了。

Zhème zhòngyào de shìqing tā jìngrán wàngjì le.

He actually forgot such an important matter.

我没想到他竟然会说出这种话。

Wǒ méi xiǎngdào tā jìngrán huì shuō chū zhè zhǒng huà.

I didn't expect that he would actually say such a thing.

虽然天气预报说晴天,但下午竟然下起了大雨。

Suīrán tiānqì yùbào shuō qíngtiān, dàn xiàwǔ jìngrán xià qǐle dàyǔ.

Although the weather forecast said it would be sunny, it actually rained heavily in the afternoon.

那个看似简单的实验,竟然隐藏着如此深刻的科学原理。

Nàgè kàn sì jiǎndān de shíyàn, jìngrán yǐncáng zhe rúcǐ shēnkè de kēxué yuánlǐ.

That seemingly simple experiment actually concealed such profound scientific principles.

Word Definition - 竟然

jìng rán unexpectedly; to one's surprise; in spite of everything; in that crazy way; actually; to go as far as to

Individual Character Details