TraceHanzi

显然 meaning in English

xiǎnrán

clearly; evidently; obviously

HSK 3adjectiveTraditional 顯然21 strokes

Meaning of 显然

Definitions from CC-CEDICT.

xiǎnrán
  1. clearly; evidently; obviously

How to use 显然

显然 often starts a sentence or comes before the verb to say a conclusion is obvious from the facts. It can also be used as a predicate with 很, as in 很显然. Example: 他显然不高兴。(Tā xiǎnrán bù gāoxìng.) He is obviously not happy.

显 (xiǎn) means to show or be visible, and 然 (rán) is a suffix meaning "in this way". Something that shows itself so plainly is 显然, obvious.

Common mistake: Learners often mix up 显然 (obviously, based on evidence) with 当然 (dāngrán, of course, naturally). Use 当然 to agree or say something goes without saying, as in 当然可以, and do not use 显然 there.

显然 in example sentences

Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.

他tā说shuō话huà时shí，显xiǎn然rán带dài着zhe高gāo兴xìng的de表biǎo情qíng。
He spoke with evident glee.
显xiǎn然rán，今jīn天tiān什shén么me事shì都dōu有yǒu可kě能néng发fā生shēng。
Apparently, there is nothing that cannot happen today.
显xiǎn然rán她tā害hài怕pà待dài在zài这zhè里lǐ。
She was visibly afraid to be here.
我wǒ们men俩liǎ人rén显xiǎn然rán很hěn相xiāng似sì。
Apparently we're just two peas in a pod.
显xiǎn然rán地dì她tā生shēng病bìng了le。
That she is ill is obvious.

Stroke order for each character

Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.

显 xiǎn · to make visible · 9 strokes

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9

然 rán · certainly · 12 strokes

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12

Related words

Words that share a character with 显然.

然后ránhòuthen; after that; afterwards
虽然suīránalthough; even though (often used correlatively with 可是[ke3 shi4] or 但是[dan4 shi4] etc)
大自然dàzìránnature (the natural world)
忽然hūránsuddenly; all of a sudden
当然dāngránonly natural; as it should be
突然tūránsudden; abrupt; unexpected
仍然réngránstill; as before; yet
自然zìránnature; natural
明显míngxiǎnclear; distinct
显示xiǎnshìto show; to illustrate
果然guǒránreally; sure enough
显得xiǎndeto seem; to look

Questions about 显然

What does 显然 mean?

显然 (xiǎnrán) means "clearly; evidently; obviously" and is used as a adjective.

How do you write 显然?

显然 is made of 2 characters: 显 (9 strokes), 然 (12 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.

Is 显然 an HSK word?

Yes. 显然 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.

How is 显然 written in traditional Chinese?

In traditional characters, 显然 is written 顯然.

What is the difference between 显然 and 明显?

明显 (míngxiǎn) is an adjective that describes a thing as noticeable, as in 明显的变化 (an obvious change). 显然 usually comments on a whole statement, like "evidently" in English.

Can I say 很显然 at the start of a sentence?

Yes. 很显然 is common at the start of a sentence, often followed by a comma, as in 很显然，他忘了。(Hěn xiǎnrán, tā wàng le.) Obviously, he forgot.

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