5 · Expressions (level 5)
Surprise and confirmation: jìngrán and guǒrán
the unexpected and the expected outcome
Jìngrán says nobody expected it; guǒrán says somebody did, and was right.
Both words tell the listener how a result relates to what was expected, and they point in opposite directions. 竟然 marks a result nobody saw coming: 他竟然忘了自己的生日, “he actually forgot his own birthday”. Depending on the situation, the surprise can be delight, disbelief or disapproval.
果然 marks a result that matches a prediction, a rumour or a warning: 天气预报说有雨，果然下雨了, “the forecast said rain, and sure enough it rained”. The prediction is usually in the first clause or obvious from the context.
竟然 is an adverb and stands after the subject, before the verb. 果然 can do the same, but it can also open its clause, and it can even stand alone as a reply: 果然！, “just as I thought!”. In speech 居然 is a common synonym of 竟然; in writing the single syllable 竟 appears.
English uses “actually” or “really did” for both, and lets the voice show which. Chinese makes the speaker decide: did you see it coming or not?
The form
| surprisingly | 他竟然忘了自己的生日。 |
| surprisingly (spoken) | 这么难的题，他居然做对了。 |
| as expected | 天气预报说有雨，果然下雨了。 |
| sure enough, opening the clause | 我猜是他，果然是他。 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
竟然 marks an outcome the speaker did not expect, often with surprise or disapproval.
这么重要的会，他竟然迟到了。He actually turned up late to such an important meeting.
果然 confirms that what was predicted or said has come true.
大家都说这家店的面好吃，果然不错。Everyone said the noodles here were good, and sure enough they are.
竟然 stands after the subject; 果然 can also open its clause.
我打电话过去，果然没有人接。I rang, and as I expected, nobody answered.
居然 means the same as 竟然 and is more common in speech.
你居然还记得这件事！You actually still remember that!
竟然 often combines with 连…都 to show how far the surprise goes.
他竟然连一个字都没写。He didn’t write a single word — unbelievable.
A closer look
Reading the speaker’s mind
Both adverbs report something about the speaker rather than about the event. 他竟然来了 and 他果然来了 describe the same arrival; the first tells you the speaker had written him off, the second that the speaker had been counting on him. A listener learns as much about the speaker as about the guest.
Register matters a little. 居然 is the lively spoken form, 竟然 works everywhere, and 竟 alone belongs to writing. 果然 has a written cousin, 果真, “really, indeed”, which can also introduce a condition: “if it really is so”.
How to spot it
- 竟然
- 居然
- 果然
- 没想到…竟然
- 我猜…果然
Example sentences
没想到这个小村子竟然有这么多游客。I never expected such a small village to have so many tourists.
他说今天会来，他果然来了。He said he would come today, and sure enough he came.
一个五岁的孩子竟然会下象棋。A five-year-old child who can play chess — amazing!
医生让他多休息，过了几天，他的病果然好了。The doctor told him to rest, and a few days later, just as predicted, he was better.
我找了半天，钥匙居然在冰箱里。I searched for ages, and the keys were in the fridge, of all places.
果然不出所料，他又忘了。Just as I thought, he forgot again.
7 more example sentences
他学了三个月中文，竟然能看中文报纸了。After three months of Chinese he can actually read a Chinese newspaper.
这件衣服竟然要五千块！This piece of clothing costs five thousand yuan — unbelievable!
听说这儿的风景很美，来了一看，果然名不虚传。I’d heard the scenery here was beautiful, and when I came to see it, it really did live up to its name.
老师说考试会很难，果然，很多人都没考好。The teacher said the exam would be hard, and sure enough, many people did badly.
他们俩吵了那么多年，最后竟然结婚了。Those two argued for years, and in the end they actually got married.
你居然一个人把这么多菜都吃完了？You actually ate all that food by yourself?
我就觉得这个人有问题，果然他在说谎。I had a feeling there was something wrong with this man, and sure enough he was lying.
Worth knowing (1)
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Guǒrán rúcǐ
果然 can close a story on its own, or in the fixed form 果然如此, “and so it was”. It is the satisfied sigh of someone whose prediction has come true.
我就知道会这样，果然如此。I knew it would turn out like this — and so it has.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English says “and he really did win” whether the speaker is surprised or not. In Chinese the two halves of this sentence would contradict each other: the speaker knew all along, so the win cannot be 竟然. A result that confirms an expectation takes 果然.
Jìngrán says nobody expected it; guǒrán says somebody did.
Your turn
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