Meaning of 吃惊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to be startled
- to be shocked
- to be amazed
How to use 吃惊
吃惊 describes feeling surprised or shocked by something unexpected. It often appears as 很吃惊 or 让人吃惊 (rang ren chījīng, surprising to people). Example: 听到这个消息，我很吃惊。(Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, wǒ hěn chījīng.) I was very surprised to hear this news.
吃惊 (chījīng) literally looks like "eat a fright": 吃 (chī) means to eat, and 惊 (jīng) means alarm or fear. Picture someone swallowing a sudden shock and gasping.
Common mistake: Learners often say 我吃惊你 to mean "I surprise you", but 吃惊 does not take a direct object. Use 让 instead: 这让我很吃惊 (zhè ràng wǒ hěn chījīng), "This surprised me."
吃惊 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.
吃 chī · to eat · 6 strokes
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惊 jīng · to startle · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 吃惊.
| 吃饭 | chīfàn | to have a meal; to eat |
| 好吃 | hǎochī | tasty; delicious |
| 小吃 | xiǎochī | street food; snack |
| 震惊 | zhènjīng | to shock; to astonish |
| 吃力 | chīlì | to entail strenuous effort; to toil at a task |
| 惊喜 | jīngxǐ | nice surprise; to be pleasantly surprised |
| 惊人 | jīngrén | astonishing |
| 惊讶 | jīngyà | amazed; astonished |
| 惊奇 | jīngqí | to be amazed; to be surprised |
| 惊慌 | jīnghuāng | to panic; to be alarmed |
| 大惊小怪 | dàjīng-xiǎoguài | to make a fuss about nothing (idiom) |
| 大吃一惊 | dàchī-yījīng | (idiom) astounded; flabbergasted; taken aback |
Questions about 吃惊
What does 吃惊 mean?
吃惊 (chījīng) means "to be startled; to be shocked".
How do you write 吃惊?
吃惊 is made of 2 characters: 吃 (6 strokes), 惊 (11 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 吃惊 an HSK word?
Yes. 吃惊 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 吃惊 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 吃惊 is written 吃驚.
What is the difference between 吃惊 and 惊喜?
吃惊 is neutral surprise or shock, and it can be good or bad. 惊喜 (jīngxǐ) is specifically a pleasant surprise, like a gift or good news.
Is 吃惊 stronger than 震惊?
No. 震惊 (zhènjīng) is stronger and more formal, often used for shocking events in the news. 吃惊 is the everyday word for being surprised.