突然 tūrán suddenly
suddenly; abruptly
How to remember 突然: 突 sudden + 然 however = suddenly.
Characters
How it is used
- "Suddenly, abruptly" - 突然下雨了 (tūrán xià yǔ le) it suddenly rained.
- Works as an adverb before the verb (突然停了 stopped suddenly) and as an adjective (很突然 very sudden/unexpected).
- Near-synonym 忽然 (hūrán) is close but more literary; 突然 is the default spoken choice and can also describe the event itself as "abrupt."
Example sentences
- 我突然想到你。 Wǒ tūrán xiǎngdào nǐ.I'm thinking about you.
- 我突然有种奇怪的感觉。 Wǒ tūrán yǒu zhǒng qíguài de gǎnjué.I suddenly had a strange feeling.
- 他突然摔倒了。 Tā tūrán shuāidǎo le.All of a sudden, he fell down.