竟然

Chinese

		unexpectedly; actually; to go so far as to unexpectedly; actually; to go so far as to; indeed	so; thus; like this so; thus; like this; ‑ly; correct; right
trad. (竟然)		竟	然
simp. #(竟然)		竟	然

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jìngrán

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄖㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ging² jin⁴

• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kèng-liân / kèng-jiân / kéng-jiân

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gêng² riang⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jìngrán
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄖㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jìngrán
    • Wade–Giles: ching⁴-jan²
    • Yale: jìng-rán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jinqran
    • Palladius: цзинжань (czinžanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ ʐän³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ging² jin⁴
    • Yale: gíng yìhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ging² jin⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ging² yin⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɪŋ³⁵ jiːn²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Taipei, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kèng-liân
    • Tâi-lô: kìng-liân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: keanglieen
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kiɪŋ⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ liɛn²⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kiɪŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ liɛn²⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kiɪŋ²¹⁻⁵³ liɛn²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Kaohsiung, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kèng-jiân
    • Tâi-lô: kìng-jiân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: keangjieen
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kiɪŋ²¹⁻⁵³ d͡ziɛn¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kiɪŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ ziɛn²³/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kéng-jiân
    • Tâi-lô: kíng-jiân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kefngjieen
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kiɪŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ziɛn²³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gêng² riang⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kéng jiâng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /keŋ⁵²⁻³⁵ d͡ziaŋ⁵⁵/

Adverb

竟然

1. unexpectedly; to one's surprise; surprisingly

   他竟然說出這樣的話來傷母親的心。 [MSC, trad.]
   他竟然说出这样的话来伤母亲的心。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā jìngrán shuōchū zhèyàng de huà lái shāng mǔqīn de xīn. [Pinyin]

   I can't believe he should say such things to hurt his mother.

   沒想到短短一個月，他的廚藝竟然已進步到這個境界！ [MSC, trad.]
   没想到短短一个月，他的厨艺竟然已进步到这个境界！ [MSC, simp.]

   Méi xiǎngdào duǎnduǎn yīge yuè, tā de chúyì jìngrán yǐ jìnbù dào zhège jìngjiè! [Pinyin]

   Who would have thought that in a short little month, his cooking would have improved to this extent!

2. (archaic) finally

Synonyms

• (unexpectedly):

• 先勿先 (Wu)
• 出乎意料地 (chūhūyìliào de)
• 居然 (jūrán)
• 煞 (Hokkien)
• 硬敢 (Liuzhou)
• 竟 (jìng)

 

Dialectal synonyms of 居然 (“unexpectedly; to one's surprise; surprisingly”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		居然, 竟然, 竟
Mandarin	Taiwan	居然, 竟然
	Liuzhou	敢, 硬敢
	Yangzhou	居然
	Singapore	竟然
Cantonese	Guangzhou	竟然
	Hong Kong	竟然, 居然, 竟然間
Southern Min	Xiamen	煞, 竟然
	Quanzhou	煞, 竟然
	Zhangzhou	煞, 竟然
	Tainan	煞, 竟然
Wu	Shanghai	居然, 竟然, 竟, 先勿先