English–Chinese
“unexpectedly” in Chinese
How to say “unexpectedly” in Chinese
“Unexpectedly” in Chinese is 竟 (jìng).
An outcome reaches reality despite the speaker's expectation, often with a clear sense of surprise.
Example sentences with 竟
他竟然没来上课。tā jìng rán méi lái shàng kè
He unexpectedly did not come to class.
Tips for using 竟
- In everyday speech, 竟 (jìng, "unexpectedly") can make a statement sound admiring, doubtful, or mildly critical, so its tone depends strongly on the surrounding context.
Other Chinese words for “unexpectedly”
我以为安全，不料出了问题。wǒ yǐ wéi ān quán bú liào chū le wèn tí
I thought it was safe, but something unexpectedly went wrong.
他居然通过了考试。tā jū rán tōng guò le kǎo shì
He unexpectedly passed the exam.