忽然 hūrán suddenly
suddenly; all of a sudden
How to remember 忽然: 忽 suddenly + 然 however = suddenly.
Characters
How it is used
- Adverb placed directly before the verb to mark something unexpected: 天忽然下雨了 (tiān hūrán xiàyǔ le) - it suddenly started raining.
- Near-synonym 突然 (tūrán) can additionally work as a predicate/adjective ('这很突然', this is sudden), while 忽然 is adverb-only and cannot follow 很 or 是.
- Common learner mistake: don't use 忽然 to describe a person or thing as being 'sudden' - reach for 突然 there instead.
Example sentences
- 我忽然想起了我死去的妈妈。 Wǒ hūrán xiǎngqǐ le wǒ sǐqù de māmā.I suddenly thought of my dead mother.