竟然
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 4 (2021)Old HSK 4
竟然 (jìngrán) · unexpectedly
竟然 (jìngrán) means “unexpectedly; actually (surprisingly)”. It is written with 2 characters: 竟 (finally) + 然 (certainly). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 竟然 is built
The characters
竟 jìng · finally
What 竟 is made of
- 音yīn — sound
- 立lì — to stand
- 亠tóu — lid
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 立lì — to stand
- 儿ér — child
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 乚 — hook stroke
Origin hint: A person 儿 finishing a musical piece 音 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
然 rán · certainly
What 然 is made of
- 肰rán — dog meat
- ⺼ — meat
- 犬quǎn — dog
- 大dà — big
- 丶 — dot
- 灬huǒ — fire
Origin hint: 灬 gives the meaning, 肰 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
他竟然忘了我的生日。Tā jìngrán wàng le wǒ de shēngrì.He actually forgot my birthday.
你竟然会说汉语！Nǐ jìngrán huì shuō Hànyǔ!I can't believe you speak Chinese!
Questions about 竟然
What does 竟然 mean?
竟然 (jìngrán) means “unexpectedly; actually (surprisingly)”.
How do you pronounce 竟然?
竟然 is pronounced jìngrán.
Which HSK level is 竟然?
竟然 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 4 (2021) and Old HSK 4.
Related words
- 究竟jiūjìngexactly
- 毕竟bìjìngafter all
- 大自然dàzìránnature (the natural world)
- 忽然hūránsuddenly
- 然后ránhòuthen
- 虽然suīránalthough
- 必然bìráninevitable
- 当然dāngránof course
- 果然guǒránsure enough
- 仍然réngránstill
Learn 竟然 with its group
It is part of HSK 4 (2021) · Group 15: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.