哗然

• Pinyin: huá rán
• Hanzi breakdown: 哗 = 口 + 华 — noisy clamour, uproar; 然 = 灬 (fire) + 肰 — indicating manner or state; together: being in a state of clamour

Meaning

In an uproar; causing a commotion or public sensation. Describes the state of a crowd or the public reacting loudly with shock, indignation, or excitement.

Almost always used in the patterns 舆论哗然 (public opinion erupted) or 众人哗然 (everyone was in an uproar). Used in news reporting and formal writing to describe significant public reactions.

Examples

1. 这项政策调整一经公布，立刻在社会上引起舆论哗然，各界人士纷纷通过不同渠道表达关切和异议。 As soon as the policy adjustment was announced, it immediately caused a public uproar, and people from all walks of life voiced concerns and objections through various channels.
2. 比赛评委当场宣布取消金牌选手资格的决定，令在场的观众和媒体记者一时哗然，现场秩序短暂混乱。 When the judges announced on the spot that the gold medalist would be disqualified, the audience and the media erupted in an uproar, and order in the venue briefly became chaotic.
3. 这位知名学者的研究数据造假丑闻一旦曝光，便在学术界引起轩然大波，舆论哗然。 Once the scandal of the prominent scholar falsifying research data came to light, it set off a storm in academia and triggered widespread public outrage.

Usage Guide

Context: news reporting, public opinion, social events

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这家百年老店宣布永久关闭的消息在网络上迅速发酵，数小时之内便引发舆论哗然，大量市民自发聚集到店门前表达对老店的不舍和遗憾。(The news that this century-old establishment would permanently close spread rapidly online, provoking a public uproar within hours, with large numbers of citizens spontaneously gathering at the shop front to express their attachment to and regret at losing the old institution.)
• 调查报告披露了多名政府官员涉及重大贪腐案的事实，一时间舆论哗然，社会各界强烈要求相关部门立即展开独立调查并公开处理结果。(The investigation report revealed that multiple government officials were implicated in a major corruption case, instantly provoking public uproar, with people across all sectors of society strongly demanding that the relevant authorities immediately launch an independent investigation and publicly disclose the outcome.)

Don't Say

• 哗然 for private, quiet expressions of disapproval — 哗然 implies loud, collective, and public reactions; use 不满 or 批评 for quieter individual responses

Origin & History

哗 (clamour; uproar) + 然 (in the manner of; in that state) — being in a state of uproar

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal