Chinese word

显然

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiǎn rán

Meaning

  • adverbobviously

Example

显然他错了。xiǎn rán tā cuò le

Obviously, he is wrong.

Illustration for 显然 (obviously)

More examples

事情显然不是那么简单。shì qíng xiǎn rán bú shì nà me jiǎn dān

Things are obviously not that simple.

Core concept

A fact stands out so clearly that little or no proof seems necessary.

Common phrases

  • 显然不是xiǎn rán bú shì

    obviously not

  • 显然正确xiǎn rán zhèng què

    obviously correct

Similar words

确实què shí: States that something is genuinely true, with facts or evidence supporting it.
明显míng xiǎn: Indicates that something can be seen clearly or has a noticeable difference.
显而易见xiǎn ér yì jiàn: Shows that something is clear at once and needs no added explanation.

Definition in Chinese

用来表明某个事实或判断很明显，几乎无需证明，常作副词使用。yòng lái biǎo míng mǒu gè shì shí huò pàn duàn hěn míng xiǎn jī hū wú xū zhèng míng cháng zuò fù cí shǐ yòng

Word origin

The compound 显 (xiǎn, "show") + 然 (rán, "so") presents a fact as showing itself to be so, which gives the word its strong certainty.

Usage tips

  • Because it presents a conclusion as settled, it can sound blunt when it labels another person's mistake; a less forceful English phrasing often sounds more considerate.

Opposites

Word lists with this word