Meaning of 震惊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to shock
- to astonish
How to use 震惊
震惊 is stronger and more serious than 吃惊 (chījīng). It is often used for big news, events, or reactions in writing and the media. It works as a verb that takes an object and also as an adjective. Example: 这个消息震惊了全国。(Zhège xiāoxi zhènjīngle quánguó.) This news shocked the whole country.
震 (zhèn) means to shake, as in 地震 (dìzhèn) earthquake, and 惊 (jīng) means to be startled. News that is 震惊 hits you like an earthquake that shakes you with surprise.
Common mistake: Learners often use 震惊 for small everyday surprises, like a friend getting a haircut, where 吃惊 or 惊讶 sounds more natural. Also keep the tones straight: zhèn is fourth tone and jīng is first tone.
震惊 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.
震 zhèn · to shake · 15 strokes
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惊 jīng · to startle · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 震惊.
| 吃惊 | chījīng | to be startled; to be shocked |
| 地震 | dìzhèn | earthquake |
| 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 |
| 震撼 | zhènhàn | to shake; to shock |
| 惊慌 | jīnghuāng | to panic; to be alarmed |
| 震动 | zhèndòng | to shake; to vibrate |
| 大惊小怪 | dàjīng-xiǎoguài | to make a fuss about nothing (idiom) |
| 大吃一惊 | dàchī-yījīng | (idiom) astounded; flabbergasted; taken aback |
| 受惊 | shòujīng | startled |
Questions about 震惊
What does 震惊 mean?
震惊 (zhènjīng) means "to shock; to astonish" and is used as a adjective and verb.
How do you write 震惊?
震惊 is made of 2 characters: 震 (15 strokes), 惊 (11 strokes). That is 26 strokes in total.
Is 震惊 an HSK word?
Yes. 震惊 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 震惊 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 震惊 is written 震驚.
How do I say I was shocked using 震惊?
You can say 我很震惊 (wǒ hěn zhènjīng), I was very shocked. Another option is 让我很震惊 (ràng wǒ hěn zhènjīng), it shocked me. For example, 他的话让我很震惊。(Tā de huà ràng wǒ hěn zhènjīng.) His words shocked me.
Is 震惊 positive or negative?
震惊 is usually neutral to negative. It suggests a strong, unsettling shock, often from bad or alarming news. For a happy surprise, use 惊喜 (jīngxǐ) instead.