Meaning of 突然
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- sudden; abrupt; unexpected
How to use 突然
突然 works as an adverb before a verb and also as an adjective, often after 很 or 太. Example: 天突然下雨了。(Tiān tūrán xià yǔ le.) It suddenly started to rain.
突 (tū) shows something bursting out suddenly, and 然 (rán) is a common ending meaning "in this manner," as in 当然 (dāngrán) and 忽然 (hūrán). Together, 突然 means "in a bursting-out way," so sudden or unexpected.
Common mistake: Learners often use 忽然 (hūrán) and 突然 as if they were the same in every slot. Only 突然 can act as an adjective, so 这件事很突然 is correct but 这件事很忽然 is wrong.
突然 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.
突 tū · sudden · 9 strokes
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然 rán · certainly · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 突然.
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 突出 | tūchū | prominent; outstanding |
| 不然 | bùrán | not so; no |
Questions about 突然
What does 突然 mean?
突然 (tūrán) means "sudden; abrupt; unexpected" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 突然?
突然 is made of 2 characters: 突 (9 strokes), 然 (12 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.
Is 突然 an HSK word?
Yes. 突然 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 突然 and 忽然?
Both can mean "suddenly" before a verb. 突然 can also describe something as sudden, for example 太突然了 (tài tūrán le, that was so sudden). 忽然 is only an adverb and sounds a little more literary.
Can 突然 go at the start of a sentence?
Yes. You can say 突然，灯灭了。(Tūrán, dēng miè le.) Suddenly, the lights went out. Putting it first adds emphasis to the surprise.