突如其来 tūrú-qílái to arise abruptly
to arise abruptly; to arrive suddenly; happening suddenly
How to remember 突如其来: 突 sudden + 如 as + 其 this or that + 来 come = to arise abruptly.
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How it is used
- Idiom for something that hits suddenly and without warning - 突如其来的大雨 (tūrú-qílái de dàyǔ) a sudden downpour; 突如其来的消息 out-of-the-blue news.
- Used attributively before a noun (的 + noun) for shocks: illness, storms, changes.
- More vivid and literary than plain 突然; stresses being caught off guard.