Chinese word

固然

Pronunciation

Pinyingù rán

Meaning

  • adverbadmittedly

Example

固然他很有钱，但不快乐。gù rán tā hěn yǒu qián dàn bú kuài lè

Admittedly, he is rich, but he isn't happy.

Illustration for 固然 (admittedly)

More examples

固然努力确实重要，但方法也很关键。gù rán nǔ lì què shí zhòng yào dàn fāng fǎ yě hěn guān jiàn

Admittedly, hard work is indeed important, but the method is also crucial.

Core concept

Confirms a point as valid while leaving room for a qualification that follows.

Common phrases

  • 固然如此gù rán rú cǐ

    admittedly so

  • 固然……但是gù rán dàn shì

    admittedly ___ but

Similar words

的确dí què: Affirming that a claim or description is correct.
确实què shí: Emphasizing that a fact or situation is genuinely as stated.
诚然chéng rán: Formally acknowledging that a statement is true.

Definition in Chinese

用来承认某个事实或观点的真实性，但通常接着提出相反或补充的看法，语气偏正式，常见于书面或正式场合。yòng lái chéng rèn mǒu gè shì shí huò guān diǎn de zhēn shí xìng dàn tōng cháng jiē zhe tí chū xiāng fǎn huò bǔ chōng de kàn fǎ yǔ qì piān zhèng shì cháng jiàn yú shū miàn huò zhèng shì chǎng hé

Word origin

The components 固 (gù, "firm") and 然 (rán, "so") combine to mark a statement as firmly true before introducing a further point.

Usage tips

  • For general everyday use, its main value is recognizing a formal written style in articles, reports, and serious comments rather than treating it as a casual conversational choice.

Other meanings

  • althoughconjunction

Opposites

Word lists with this word