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Expressing 'unexpectedly' with 竟 (jìng)
Degree & Intensity
Emphasis
Structure
Subject + 竟 + Verb Phrase
Explanation
The adverb 竟 (jìng) means 'unexpectedly' or 'actually,' expressing surprise that something happened contrary to expectation. It is placed before the verb to emphasize that the outcome was surprising, and carries a stronger sense of disbelief than 居然 in formal writing.
Examples
他竟把所有的钱都捐了出去。
tā jìng bǎ suǒyǒu de qián dōu juān le chūqù.
He actually donated all of his money.
没想到她竟通过了那么难的考试。
méi xiǎngdào tā jìng tōngguò le nàme nán de kǎoshì.
No one expected that she would actually pass such a difficult exam.
这么简单的事，他竟不会做。
zhème jiǎndān de shì, tā jìng bù huì zuò.
It's such a simple thing, yet he actually can't do it.