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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'suddenly' with 忽然 (hūrán)

    Sequence & Order
    Time Expressions

    Structure

    Subject + 忽然 + Verb

    Explanation

    The adverb 忽然 (hūrán) means "suddenly" or "all of a sudden," indicating that something happens unexpectedly and without warning. It is placed before the verb in a sentence. It is similar to 突然 (tūrán) but tends to be used more in narrative and written contexts.

    Examples

    • 我们正在聊天，他忽然站起来就走了。

      Wǒmen zhèngzài liáotiān, tā hūrán zhàn qǐlái jiù zǒu le.

      We were chatting when he suddenly stood up and left.

    • 天空忽然下起了大雨，大家赶紧找地方躲。

      Tiānkōng hūrán xià qǐle dà yǔ, dàjiā gǎnjǐn zhǎo dìfang duǒ.

      It suddenly started pouring, and everyone rushed to find shelter.

    • 她忽然想起今天有个重要的会议。

      Tā hūrán xiǎngqǐ jīntiān yǒu ge zhòngyào de huìyì.

      She suddenly remembered that she had an important meeting today.

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    Expressing 'suddenly' with 忽然 (hūrán) | Chinese Grammar