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惊讶

jīng yà
HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 6 Adjective Common

Definitions

  1. 1. amazed
  2. 2. astonished
  3. 3. to surprise
  4. 4. amazing
  5. 5. astonishment
  6. 6. awe

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item
平淡
píng dàn

flat

平淡 means plain, calm, or uneventful, opposite of amazed or astonished.

Related words

1 item
诧异
chà yì

flabbergasted

诧异 means bewildered or surprised, often with a sense of oddity, similar in register to 惊讶.

Synonyms

2 items
吃惊
chī jīng

to be startled

Both mean surprised, but 惊讶 is more formal/literary while 吃惊 is common in speech.
震惊
zhèn jīng

to shock

震惊 implies a stronger, often shocking surprise, while 惊讶 is milder amazement.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 惊讶 to describe something actively surprising (e.g., 这件事惊讶了我), but it's a stative verb/adjective describing a person's feeling. Use 使...惊讶 instead.

Formality

惊讶 is more formal and literary; in casual conversation, 吃惊 is more natural for expressing surprise.

Example Sentences

3 shown
他脸上露出 惊讶 的神色。
A surprised look appeared on his face.
故事的转折让所有人都很 惊讶 。
The twist in the story surprised everyone.
他突然发火了，大家都很 惊讶 。
He suddenly got angry, and everyone was surprised.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 惊讶

惊
jīng

to startle

讶
yà

astounded