震惊
zhènjīng
The English word "shock" (as a noun referring to a sudden mental or emotional disturbance) is translated into Chinese as 震惊 (zhènjīng).
震惊 is used to describe a profound, heavy or world-shaking shock. If you want to use the concept as an adjective to describe something that causes shock in people, you can use the phrase 令人震惊.
Meaning: a sudden mental or emotional disturbance (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 震惊 is composed of two parts: 震, which means to shake or vibrate and 惊, which means to startle or frighten.
Which one should you use?
While 震惊 implies a profound or world-shaking shock, the term 吃惊 is used for more common, everyday surprises. In formal contexts, 惊愕 can also be used to express shock, but it implies a more intense sense of surprise than 震惊.
How do you pronounce it?
zhènjīng
Did you know?
- The everyday term for surprise 吃惊 literally means 'to eat surprise'. This use of 'eat' 吃 to describe experiencing an emotion is a common pattern in Chinese idioms.
- In modern internet slang, people use 震惊 in clickbait headlines to mimic 'shocking' tabloids. This has turned the word into a meme used to mock overly dramatic news titles.
- The component 惊 in 震惊 contains the radical for 'horse', which historically relates to the sound of a horse being startled or spooked.
Examples in context
- 中国是一只沉睡的狮子，一旦觉醒，将会震惊世界。China is a sleeping tiger, but once it wakes up, it will shock the world.This sentence is useful for showing how the word 震惊 can be used to describe a global impact.Tatoeba #3285886 by sadhen, translation #7837709 by sharris123
- 我对这个令人震惊的消息感到非常吃惊。I am shocked by this astonishing news.
- 她听到新闻时傻眼了。She was shocked when she heard the news.
- 这个消息让他感到非常震惊。Zhège xiāoxi ràng tā gǎndào fēicháng zhènjīng.This news made him feel very shocked.
- 看到这一幕，大家都感到很震惊。Kàndào zhè yīmù, dàjiā dōu gǎndào hěn zhènjīng.Everyone felt very shocked seeing this scene.
Example conversation
Xiaowen tells Junjie some surprising news.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen俊杰，你听说了吗？他要辞职了。Jùnjié, nǐ tīngshuō le ma? Tā yào cízhí le.Junjie, have you heard? He is resigning.
- 俊杰 Junjie什么？这太令人震惊了！Shénme? Zhè tài lìngrén zhènjīng le!What? That is so shocking!
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我也觉得很突然。Wǒ yě juéde hěn tūrán.I also think it's very sudden.
- 俊杰 Junjie我还没反应过来。Wǒ hái méi fǎnyìng guòlái.I haven't processed it yet.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
