惊诧

• Pinyin: jīng chà
• Hanzi breakdown: 惊 = 忄+ 京 — startled; 诧 = 讠(speech) + 宅 — astonished, amazed

Meaning

Astonished; amazed. A formal word for feeling great surprise.

A literary or formal expression for being greatly surprised or astounded. Stronger than 惊讶 and more formal. Often used in written Chinese, news reports, or formal speech. Can describe both the feeling and the facial expression.

Examples

1. 听到这个消息，所有人都露出惊诧的表情。 Upon hearing this news, everyone showed an astonished expression.
2. 她惊诧地发现自己的名字出现在获奖名单上。 She was amazed to discover her name on the list of winners.
3. 他的决定让同事们感到十分惊诧。 His decision left his colleagues feeling very astonished.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, news, formal writing

Tone: expressive

Do Say

• 令人惊诧。(Astounding.)
• 感到惊诧。(Feel astonished.)

Don't Say

• 很惊诧的事 in casual speech (Don't use 惊诧 in casual conversation — it sounds overly literary; use 惊讶 or 吃惊 in everyday speech)

Origin & History

Composed of 惊 (startled; alarmed) + 诧 (surprised; astonished). Both characters express surprise, with 诧 adding a sense of amazement.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Literary/formal contexts