猛然

• Pinyin: měng rán
• Hanzi breakdown: 猛 = 犬 (dog radical) + 孟 (strong, phonetic) — fierce, abrupt; 然 = 灬 (fire) + 肰 (phonetic) — manner/state suffix

Meaning

Suddenly; abruptly; all at once. Describes an action or realisation that happens with sudden force or without warning.

Used to describe sudden physical movements (猛然站起), abrupt realisations (猛然想起), or unexpected changes in direction or behaviour. Stronger than 突然 in terms of the physical or mental force involved. Common in narrative prose and literary description.

Examples

1. 他正专注地看报告，门外猛然传来一声巨响，把他吓得从椅子上跳了起来。 He was focused on reading the report when a sudden loud bang came from outside the door, startling him into jumping up from his chair.
2. 走到楼梯口时，她猛然想起自己把重要的文件遗忘在了会议室的桌子上。 When she reached the stairwell, she suddenly remembered she had left an important document on the table in the conference room.
3. 演讲进行到一半，他猛然意识到自己一直在引用一个早已被推翻的数据，顿时冷汗直冒。 Halfway through the speech, he suddenly realized he had been citing data that had already been overturned, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, literature, daily life, realisation

Tone: dramatic

Do Say

• 听到那个名字，他猛然抬起头，眼神中闪过一丝难以掩饰的惊愕与复杂情绪。(Hearing that name, he abruptly raised his head, a flash of barely concealed shock and complex emotion crossing his eyes.)
• 她猛然停下脚步，转身走回刚才经过的橱窗前，仔细审视那件令她心动的外套。(She suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned back to the shop window she had just passed, and carefully examined the coat that had caught her eye.)

Don't Say

• 将'猛然'用于缓慢或渐进的过程 — 猛然强调动作的突然性和力度，描述缓慢变化应用'逐渐''慢慢'或'渐渐' (Do not use 猛然 for slow or gradual processes — 猛然 emphasises suddenness and force; use 逐渐, 慢慢, or 渐渐 for gradual changes)

Origin & History

猛 = 犬 (dog radical) + 孟 (strong, phonetic) — fierce, sudden; 然 (suffix indicating manner or state). Together: in a sudden and forceful manner.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal