Meaning of 果然
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- really
- sure enough
- as expected
- if indeed
How to use 果然
果然 is an adverb used when something happens exactly as someone said or expected. It usually goes before the verb or the predicate, and it can also open a sentence. Example: 天气预报说下雨，果然下雨了。(Tiānqì yùbào shuō xià yǔ, guǒrán xià yǔ le.) The forecast said rain, and sure enough it rained.
果 (guǒ) is fruit, the result that grows from a plant, and 然 (rán) means "so" or "like this." Think of 果然 as "the result turned out so," just as you predicted.
Common mistake: Learners mix up 果然 (as expected) with 居然 (jūrán, unexpectedly), which means the opposite. Use 果然 when the outcome confirms a prediction and 居然 when it is a surprise.
果然 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.
果 guǒ · fruit · 8 strokes
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然 rán · certainly · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 果然.
| 水果 | shuǐguǒ | fruit |
| 如果 | rúguǒ | if; in case; in the event that |
| 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) |
| 结果 | jiéguǒ | to bear fruit |
| 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 |
Questions about 果然
What does 果然 mean?
果然 (guǒrán) means "really; sure enough" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 果然?
果然 is made of 2 characters: 果 (8 strokes), 然 (12 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 果然 an HSK word?
Yes. 果然 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 果然 and 当然?
当然 (dāngrán) means "of course" and states that something is obvious or natural. 果然 means "sure enough" and confirms that an earlier expectation or claim came true.
Can 果然 mean "if" in modern Chinese?
The sense "if indeed" appears mostly in written or older Chinese, as in 果然如此 (guǒrán rúcǐ, if that is really so). In everyday speech, use 如果 (rúguǒ) for "if" and keep 果然 for "as expected."