然 meaning and stroke order
Certainly; naturally; suddenly
How to write 然, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Meaning of 然
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- correct
- right
- so
- thus
- like this
- -ly
How 然 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Fire.
灬 gives the meaning and 肰 hints at the sound.
Radical: 灬 (fire), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 然
然 (rán) is fire 灬 at the bottom with 肰 on top, and 肰 gives the sound. Picture something on top of a fire: of course it burns, which is how 然 came to mean naturally or so.
然 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It works as an ending that turns words into adverbs, as in 突然 (tūrán, suddenly) and 显然 (xiǎnrán, obviously), and it appears in key connectors like 然后 (ránhòu) and 虽然 (suīrán). Example: 我先吃饭，然后去学校。(Wǒ xiān chīfàn, ránhòu qù xuéxiào.) I eat first, then go to school.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top left part as 月 with the wrong strokes or forget the 犬 on the right, and they mix up 仍然 (réngrán, still) with 然后 (ránhòu, then). Also remember 虽然 pairs with 但是 or 可是, not with 所以.
Common words with 然
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 然后 | ránhòu | then; after that; afterwards | HSK 2 |
| 虽然 | suīrán | although; even though (often used correlatively with 可是[ke3 shi4] or 但是[dan4 shi4] etc) | HSK 2 |
| 大自然 | dàzìrán | nature (the natural world) | HSK 2 |
| 忽然 | hūrán | suddenly; all of a sudden | HSK 2 |
| 当然 | dāngrán | only natural; as it should be | HSK 3 |
| 突然 | tūrán | sudden; abrupt; unexpected | HSK 3 |
| 仍然 | réngrán | still; as before; yet | HSK 3 |
| 显然 | xiǎnrán | clearly; evidently; obviously | HSK 3 |
| 自然 | zìrán | nature; natural | HSK 3 |
| 果然 | guǒrán | really; sure enough | HSK 3 |
| 必然 | bìrán | inevitable; certain | HSK 3 |
| 不然 | bùrán | not so; no | HSK 4 |
| 既然 | jìrán | since; as; this being the case | HSK 4 |
| 竟然 | jìngrán | unexpectedly; to one's surprise | HSK 4 |
然 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 然
Learning 然 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 然
How many strokes are in 然?
然 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 然 mean?
然 (rán) means certainly; naturally; suddenly. A common word with it is 然后 (ránhòu), meaning "then; after that; afterwards".
How do you pronounce 然?
然 is pronounced rán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 然?
The radical of 然 is 灬, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 然 under this radical.
Is 然 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 然 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 突然 and 忽然?
Both mean suddenly. 突然 can also be an adjective, as in 很突然 (hěn tūrán, very sudden), while 忽然 is only used as an adverb before a verb.
Does 当然 mean the same as English of course?
Yes, 当然 (dāngrán) is the everyday way to say of course. You can answer a question with just 当然 or 当然可以 (dāngrán kěyǐ, of course you can).