Meaning of 依然
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- still; as before
How to use 依然
依然 is a slightly formal adverb placed before the verb or adjective to show that a situation has not changed. It is common in writing, speeches, and songs, and often follows 虽然 (suīrán) clauses. Example: 十年过去了，他依然很年轻。(Shí nián guòqù le, tā yīrán hěn niánqīng.) Ten years have passed, and he is still young.
依 (yī) means to rely on or follow, and 然 (rán) means so or like this. Something that keeps following the way it was is 依然, still as before.
Common mistake: Learners often put 依然 after the verb or at the very start of the sentence like English "still". In Chinese it goes after the subject and before the verb, as in 他依然住在这里 (tā yīrán zhù zài zhèlǐ), not 他住依然在这里.
依然 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
依 yī · to depend on · 8 strokes
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然 rán · certainly · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 依然.
| 然后 | ránhòu | then; after that; afterwards |
| 虽然 | suīrán | although; even though (often used correlatively with 可是[ke3 shi4] or 但是[dan4 shi4] etc) |
| 大自然 | dàzìrán | nature (the natural world) |
| 忽然 | hūrán | suddenly; all of a sudden |
| 当然 | dāngrán | only natural; as it should be |
| 突然 | tūrán | sudden; abrupt; unexpected |
| 仍然 | réngrán | still; as before; yet |
| 显然 | xiǎnrán | clearly; evidently; obviously |
| 自然 | zìrán | nature; natural |
| 果然 | guǒrán | really; sure enough |
| 必然 | bìrán | inevitable; certain |
| 不然 | bùrán | not so; no |
Questions about 依然
What does 依然 mean?
依然 (yīrán) means "still; as before" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 依然?
依然 is made of 2 characters: 依 (8 strokes), 然 (12 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 依然 an HSK word?
Yes. 依然 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 依然 and 还是 or 仍然?
All three can mean still. 还是 (háishi) is the most casual and common in speech. 仍然 (réngrán) and 依然 are more formal, and 依然 has a slightly more literary feel. It also appears in set phrases like 依然如故 (yīrán rúgù), unchanged as before.
Can 依然 be used with negative sentences?
Yes. Put 依然 before the negative word, for example 他依然不明白 (tā yīrán bù míngbai), he still does not understand. Do not write 不依然.