Chinese word

惊叹

Pronunciation

Pinyinjīng tàn

Meaning

  • verbmarvel

Example

我们都为他的画技惊叹。wǒ men dōu wèi tā de huà jì jīng tàn

We all marveled at his painting skill.

Illustration for 惊叹 (marvel)

More examples

这幅雕塑的细节令人惊叹。zhè fú diāo sù de xì jié lìng rén jīng tàn

The details of this sculpture are astonishing.

Core concept

A strong outward response that joins surprise with deep admiration for what someone or something does.

Common phrases

  • 令人惊叹lìng rén jīng tàn

    astonishing

  • 惊叹不已jīng tàn bù yǐ

    marvel without end

  • 对...表示惊叹duì biǎo shì jīng tàn

    express amazement at ___

Similar words

赞叹zàn tàn: Express praise and admiration for something wonderful through words or manner.
佩服pèi fú: Feel respect and admiration for another person's talent or actions.
叹服tàn fú: Feel deep admiration and wholehearted respect for someone's ability or achievement.

Definition in Chinese

对某人或事物由衷感到敬佩和惊奇并加以表示。duì mǒu rén huò shì wù yóu zhōng gǎn dào jìng pèi hé jīng qí bìng jiā yǐ biǎo shì

Word origin

惊 (jīng, "be surprised") + 叹 (tàn, "sigh or exclaim") combines surprise with an audible or visible response, giving the word its sense of admiring wonder.

Usage tips

  • In conversational Chinese, 惊叹 (jīngtàn, "marvel") commonly uses 为 (wèi, "for") before the person or thing that inspires the reaction, rather than taking it as a bare direct object.

Other meanings

  • admireverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 惊叹不已jīng tàn bù yǐmarvel without endidiom
  • 惊叹声jīng tàn shēngexclamation of wondernoun

Word lists with this word