突然
tūrán
The English word 'sudden' is translated into Chinese as 突然 (tūrán). Wiktionary also lists 急劇 / 急剧 (jíjù).
Meaning: happening quickly and with little or no warning (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 突然 | tūrán |
| 急劇 / 急剧 | jíjù |
突然 is the most commonly used word for sudden in Chinese. It can be used as an adverbial phrase at the beginning of a sentence to function like the English phrase 'all of a sudden', setting the scene for an unexpected event.
Which one should you use?
While 突然 (tūrán) refers to the timing of an event being sudden, 急剧 (jíjù) is used to describe a sudden and drastic change in degree or intensity, such as a sharp increase or decrease.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 突然 can function as both an adjective and an adverb, meaning it can describe a noun or modify a verb directly.
How do you pronounce it?
tūrán
Did you know?
- The character 突 in 突然 originally depicted a pig being pushed up through a hole in the ground. This visual metaphor evolved to represent something bursting forth or happening abruptly.
- The word 剧 in 急剧 is the same character used for 'drama' or 'play', implying that a drastic change is as intense as a theatrical performance.
- Chinese has a specific idiom 猝不及防, which describes a 'sudden' event so fast that one cannot even prepare a defense. It is frequently used in news reports to describe accidents.
Examples in context
- 她声调突然变了。There was a sudden change in her tone.This sentence shows how to use 突然 to describe a change in tone.Tatoeba #2029452 by ydcok, translation #19618 by CK
- 突然下起雨來了。All of a sudden, it began raining.This sentence shows how to use 突然 at the beginning of a sentence to mean 'all of a sudden'.Tatoeba #13532030 by LeviHighway, translation #280689 by CK
- 昨天晚上氣溫突然下降There was a sudden drop in the temperature last night.This sentence uses 突然 to describe a sudden drop in temperature.Tatoeba #11841641 by Verna0072001, translation #2252823 by _undertoad
- 今天突然下起了暴雨。It suddenly started pouring rain today.
- 她突然决定辞职。She suddenly decided to resign.
- 她突然间发现自己爱上了他。She suddenly realized that she had fallen in love with him.
- 瞬间，整个房间变得一片寂静。In an instant, the whole room fell silent.
- 霎时间，他的生活发生了翻天覆地的变化。In an instant, his life underwent an earth-shattering change.
- 乍然听到这个消息，他感到震惊。Upon hearing this news suddenly, he felt shocked.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a surprise visit from a friend.
- 雨婷 Yuting他突然出现在我家门口。Tā tūrán chūxiàn zài wǒ jiā ménkǒu.He suddenly appeared at my doorstep.
- 俊杰 Junjie真的吗？这也太突然了。Zhēn de ma? Zhè yě tài tūrán le.Really? That is so sudden.
- 雨婷 Yuting是啊，我也很惊讶。Shì a, wǒ yě hěn jīngyà.Yes, I was very surprised too.
- 俊杰 Junjie雨婷，你当时吓到了吗？Yǔtíng, nǐ dāngshí xià dào le ma?Yuting, were you scared at that moment?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sudden” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
