突然, 忽然, 猛然, 蓦然, 遽然, 豁然....

[yersi]

Chinese has an awful lot of words ending in 然, and a lot of them seem to mean suddenly/abruptly or something like that. We had a thread about this a while back but it only covered a few so I'll make another one for it.

I found this list on Unilang over words that mean "suddenly", I've seen most of them before but I'm only familiar with few. Can a native speaker come in and explain their differences?

突然

忽然

猛然 - suddenly and forcefully, as in 猛然一拳

蓦然

陡然

居然 - unexpectedly, kinda like 竟然　我一直以為我們關係很好，但他今天居然給我說他要分手。

遽然

豁然

霍然

赫然

猝然 - used when somebody dies of a heart attack, e.g 猝然倒下

恍然

倐然

骤然

[Chinapage]

果然

自然

不自然

不然

天然

[creamyhorror]

I think 然 is an adverbial suffix, so it forms two-character adverbs. Don't know why so many of them happen to mean "suddenly" or similar, though.

[yersi]

Hmm, I wasn't really asking about 然 but more about the synonyms for "suddenly". Thanks for the input though.

[tavi360]

As long as we're on the topic, from: http://www.chinesetime.cn/learn/chinese/community/tabid/119/forumid/20/threadid/1896/scope/posts/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Not my work, thanks to chinesesavvy for this:

" 副词/形容词+然，表示一种状态，常常作状语。做状语时，可以理解成“副词/形容词+地”。有时也可以做谓语，定语，补语。英语中有一些形容词加"ly"可以变成副词。

The suffix “然” may be added after a few adverbs and adjectives to create a complete word that indicates a certain state of being. Such words are often used as adverbials, but may act as a predicate, attributive, and complement as well. In terms of meaning, the “然” suffix is like “-like” in English and in terms of function, it works like “-ly”.

（1） 副词+然。adverb + 然

突然 (adv. suddenly; unexpectedly) ：很快地，没有想到地。作状语。如，(acts as an adverbial)

Sample sentences:

•我正在学习，突然停电了。

I was reading when the power was suddenly out.

•汽车突然一停，我差点没摔倒。

I almost fell to the ground when the car suddenly came to a halt.

•刚才天气还挺好，怎么突然下起雨来了？

It was fine just now. How come it started to rain suddenly?

作谓语，如，(acting as predicate)

Sample sentences

•这个消息太突然了。

The news came as a great surprise to me.

•他问得太突然了，我不知道怎么回答他才好。

I was totally unprepared for his question and didn’t know what to say.

（2） 形容词+然。adjective +然

欣然 (adv. readily; with pleasure) ：高兴地。如，

Sample sentences:

•他的脾气不太好，但是这次～同意了我提出的建议。

He has a temper, but for once, he readily consented to do as I suggested.

•她虽然舍不得女朋友的离开,但为了她的安全,～地答应了她的离开。

Altough she was reluctant to let her friend leave, she readily agreed to it for the sake of her friend’s safety.

•妈妈看了他的考试成绩，～地点了点头。

Mum had a look at his exam results and nodded with pleasure.

茫然 (adv. blankly; at a loss)：迷惑地。如，

•对于裁判的判决结果，他一脸～。

He couldn’t believe that the referee made such a call and was at a loss.

•从监狱出来，她～地不知道往哪儿走。

Stepping out of the prison gate, she was at a loss as for where to turn.

•他醒来以后，～地看了看周围，还不知道这是医院。

After he woke up, he looked around blankly, not knowing that he had been lying in a hospital bed.

显然 (adv. obviously; clearly)：明显地。如，

Sample sentences:

•看着导演得意的表情，～他对这部电影很满意。

Just see how elated the director looks. It is obvious that he is very pleased with the movie.

•一个月两百块钱想要租房子，～是不够的。

Setting aside two hundred yuan a month for rent clearly is not enough.

•这次的考试他努力地准备了半年，对于这样的考试结果，～他不能接受。

He prepared half a year for the exam and has been working very hard for it during this period. Clearly he is not prepared to accept such a result.

公然 (adv. openly; flagrant; shamelessly)：公开地。如，

Sample sentences:

•这些工厂～把污水倒进河中。

These plants shamelessly dumped their sewage into the river.

•在这次全国的考试中，他～作弊。

He flagrantly cheated on the national examination.

•小偷～在公共汽车上偷乘客的钱。

The thief boldly picked passengers’ pockets on a bus.

毅然 (adv. firmly; resolutely)：坚决地。如，

Sample sentences:

•他～地献身祖国的科学事业。

He firmly committed himself to scientific research development in China.

•他～地离开了美国，回到了思念已久的家乡。

He firmly made the decision to leave the United States and come back to his dear hometown that he has been missing all the time.

•作为一名大学生，他～报名从军了。

He firmly made the decision to enlist himself in the army when he was a college student.

泰然 (adv. calmly; with perfect composure)：形容心情很安定。如，

Sample sentences:

•在中国有一句古话“得之淡然，失之～，争其必然，顺其自然”。

As an old Chinese saying goes, “we take life and its ups and downs with grace and do not close the door when opportunities knocks.”

•他临危不惧，神情～。

Even though he was in grave danger, he was calm, cool and collected."

[vampire]

突然=忽然, 居然=竟然, 居然 kind of means "how can someone do that", it doesnt mean suddenly.

[歐博思]

I'm gonna necromance this post because I have a question about one of these in particular 自然 (vs 自然而然)

 

If I want to put into Chinese the sentence "naturally, I wasn't familiar with this new place", would there be any difference between the two? It feels more natural for me in this case to use the longer 自然而然, but are they 1:1 in meaning here?