Chinese word

吃惊

Pronunciation

Pinyinchī jīng

Meaning

  • adjectivesurprised

Example

看到那只猫我很吃惊。kàn dào nà zhǐ māo wǒ hěn chī jīng

I was very surprised to see that cat.

Illustration for 吃惊 (surprised)

More examples

他的进步速度令人吃惊。tā de jìn bù sù dù lìng rén chī jīng

The speed of his progress is surprising.

Core concept

An unexpected sight or fact causes a brief jolt before the reaction settles.

Common phrases

  • 感到吃惊gǎn dào chī jīng

    feel surprised

  • 令人吃惊lìng rén chī jīng

    surprising

  • 很吃惊hěn chī jīng

    very surprised

Similar words

惊讶jīng yà: An unexpected event or fact brings a feeling of surprise.
震惊zhèn jīng: A very powerful surprise deeply shocks a person.
惊奇jīng qí: Something strange or unusual brings surprise mixed with wonder.

Definition in Chinese

对突发、意外的信息或场景产生短时间的惊讶感，常用来描述瞬间的反应。duì tū fā yì wài de xìn xī huò cháng jǐng chǎn shēng duǎn shí jiān de jīng yà gǎn cháng yòng lái miáo shù shùn jiān de fǎn yìng

Word origin

The compound 吃 (chī, "undergo") + 惊 (jīng, "surprise") treats a sudden surprise as an experience that happens to someone.

Usage tips

  • The word describes a reaction in the moment, so it fits a sentence about seeing new information but not a general description of a person's character.

Other meanings

  • astonishedadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word