忽然

• Pinyin: hū rán
• Hanzi breakdown: 忽 (hū) — suddenly, neglect; 然 (rán) — thus, so, like that

Meaning

Suddenly; all of a sudden. Describes something happening unexpectedly and without warning.

An adverb placed before the verb to indicate an abrupt, unexpected action or change. Similar to 突然, but 忽然 is slightly more literary and cannot be used as an adjective.

Examples

1. 他走着走着，忽然停下来了。 He was walking along when he suddenly stopped.
2. 天气忽然变冷了。 The weather suddenly turned cold.
3. 我忽然想起来一件事。 I suddenly remembered something.

Usage Guide

Context: narration, storytelling, descriptions

Tone: dramatic, surprising

Do Say

• 忽然下雨了。(It suddenly started raining.)
• 她忽然笑了起来。(She suddenly burst out laughing.)

Don't Say

• 不要说'很忽然' (Don't say 很忽然 — 忽然 is an adverb and cannot be modified by 很; use 很突然 instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 忽 (suddenly, neglect) and 然 (thus, so). 忽 originally suggested something fleeting or easily overlooked.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal