忽然

Chinese

		suddenly	so; thus; like this so; thus; like this; ‑ly; correct; right
trad. (忽然)		忽	然
simp. ^#(忽然)		忽	然

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): hūrán
(Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄖㄢˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): fat¹ jin⁴
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): fut-yèn / fut-yàn
Min Nan (POJ): hut-liân / hut-jiân

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: hūrán
  - Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄖㄢˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: hurán
  - Wade–Giles: hu¹-jan²
  - Yale: hū-rán
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: huran
  - Palladius: хужань (xužanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu⁵⁵ ʐän³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: fat¹ jin⁴
  - Yale: fāt yìhn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: fat⁷ jin⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: fed¹ yin⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɐt̚⁵ jiːn²¹/
Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fut-yèn
  - Hakka Romanization System: fud` ienˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: fud⁵ yan²
  - Sinological IPA: /fut̚² i̯en¹¹/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fut-yàn
  - Hakka Romanization System: fud` (r)ianˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: fud⁵ yan²
  - Sinological IPA: /fut̚² (j)i̯an¹¹/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hut-liân
  - Tâi-lô: hut-liân
  - Phofsit Daibuun: hutlieen
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /hut̚⁵⁻²⁴ liɛn²⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /hut̚³²⁻⁴ liɛn²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hut-jiân
  - Tâi-lô: hut-jiân
  - Phofsit Daibuun: hutjieen
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /hut̚³²⁻⁴ ʑiɛn²³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /hut̚³²⁻⁵ d͡ʑiɛn¹³/

Middle Chinese: /huət̚ ȵiᴇn/

Rime
Character	忽	然
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	曉 (32)	日 (38)
Final (韻)	魂 (56)	仙 (77)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open
Division (等)	I	III
Fanqie	呼骨切	如延切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/huət̚/	/ȵiᴇn/
Pan Wuyun	/huot̚/	/ȵiɛn/
Shao Rongfen	/xuət̚/	/ȵʑjæn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/hwət̚/	/ȵian/
Li Rong	/xuət̚/	/ȵiɛn/
Wang Li	/xuət̚/	/ȵʑĭɛn/
Bernard Karlgren	/xuət̚/	/ȵʑi̯ɛn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	hu	rán
Expected Cantonese Reflex	fat¹	jin⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*m̥ˤut [n]a[n]/
(Zhengzhang): /*hmɯːd njen/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	忽	然
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	hū	rán
Middle Chinese	‹ xwot ›	‹ nyen ›
Old Chinese	/*m̥ˁut/	/*[n]a[n]/
English	careless; confused	so, thus; (adv suffix)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	忽	然
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	13211	10756
Phonetic component	勿	肰
Rime group	物	元
Rime subdivision	1	2
Corresponding MC rime	忽	然
Old Chinese	/*hmɯːd/	/*njen/

Adverb

忽然

suddenly

Synonyms

edit

Synonyms of 忽然

一下 (yīxià)
一下子 (yīxiàzi)
乍然 (zhàrán) (literary)
倏忽 (shūhū) (literary)
忽地 (hūdì)
猛 (měng)
猛然 (měngrán)
猝然 (cùrán)
突然 (tūrán)
豁然 (huòrán) (literary)
遽然 (jùrán) (literary)
陡 (dǒu) (literary, or in compounds)

陡然 (dǒurán)
霍然 (huòrán)
一舉／一举 (yījǔ)
一頭／一头 (yītóu)
突然間／突然间 (tūránjiān)
頓／顿 (dùn) (literary)
頓然／顿然 (dùnrán)
驀地／蓦地 (mòdì)
驀然／蓦然 (mòrán) (formal)
驟然／骤然 (zhòurán) (literary)
𢫦𢫦風／𢫦𢫦风 (Hakka)

Dialectal synonyms of 突然 (“suddenly”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		突然, 忽然, 猝然
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		突然, 忽然, 猛然, 驀地／蓦地, 乍然, 倏忽, 驟然／骤然, 猝然, 突然間／突然间, 冷不防, 一下, 一下子
Mandarin	Beijing	忽然間／忽然间, 冒猛地, 冒猛子, 冒冷子, 乍猛地, 乍乍地, 乍麼實兒／乍么实儿, 虎拉巴兒／虎拉巴儿, 一下兒／一下儿, 一下子
	Taiwan	突然, 忽然, 突然間／突然间, 忽然間／忽然间
	Yangzhou	突乎其然
	Singapore	突然, 忽然, 突然間／突然间, 忽然間／忽然间
Cantonese	Guangzhou	突然, 突然間／突然间, 突然之間／突然之间, 失驚無神／失惊无神, 失驚忘神／失惊忘神
	Hong Kong	突然, 突然間／突然间, 突然之間／突然之间, 忽然, 忽然間／忽然间, 忽然之間／忽然之间, 失驚無神／失惊无神, 失雞無神／失鸡无神, 一下
	Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)	忽然間／忽然间
	Taishan	突然之間／突然之间
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	突然
Gan	Nanchang	突然
Hakka	Meixian	玄工, 玄玄風／玄玄风, 突然
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	突然間／突然间, 忽然間／忽然间
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	突然間／突然间, 忽然間／忽然间
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	突然間／突然间, 忽然間／忽然间
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	突然間／突然间, 忽然間／忽然间
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	突然間／突然间, 忽然間／忽然间
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	突然
	Hong Kong	陣時間／阵时间
	Senai (Huiyang)	陣間／阵间
Min Bei	Jian'ou	臨陣／临阵, 三不臨陣／三不临阵
Min Nan	Xiamen	突然, 忽然, 暴其然, 無張無持／无张无持, 無張持／无张持
	Quanzhou	突然, 忽然, 無張無持／无张无持, 無張持／无张持
	Zhangzhou	突然, 忽然, 暴其然, 無張無持／无张无持, 無張持／无张持
	Tainan	突然間／突然间, 忽然間／忽然间, 雄雄, 無張持／无张持
	Penang (Hokkien)	雄險／雄险
	Singapore (Hokkien)	突然間／突然间, 忽然間／忽然间
	Manila (Hokkien)	忽然間／忽然间
	Shantou	突然
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	突然
Wu	Shanghai	著生頭裡／著生头里, 著陌生頭／著陌生头, 著陌生裡／著陌生里, 著末生頭／著末生头, 辣陌生頭／辣陌生头, 辣末生頭／辣末生头, 辣末生裡／辣末生里, 冷陌生頭／冷陌生头, 突然之間／突然之间, 突然, 忽聲能／忽声能
Wu	Wenzhou	單下／单下

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (忽然):

→ Japanese: 忽然(こつぜん) (kotsuzen); 忽然(こつねん) (kotsunen)
→ Korean: 홀연(忽然) (horyeon)

Verb

忽然

(Classical Chinese, euphemistic) to pass away

Synonyms

edit

Synonyms of 忽然

上天 (shàngtiān) (euphemistic)
上路 (shànglù) (euphemistic)
下世 (xiàshì) (formal)
不在 (bùzài) (euphemistic)
不幸 (bùxìng) (Classical Chinese, euphemistic)
亡故 (wánggù) (literary)
仙逝 (xiānshì) (euphemistic)
作古 (zuògǔ) (literary, euphemistic)
做鬼 (zuòguǐ) (colloquial)
入寂 (rùjì) (Buddhism, of Buddhist monks)
即世 (jíshì) (literary)
去世 (qùshì)
合眼 (héyǎn) (euphemistic)
嗝屁 (gěpì) (Mandarin, vulgar, derogatory)
回老家 (huí lǎojiā) (euphemistic, humorous)
安息 (ānxī) (euphemistic)
安眠 (ānmián) (euphemistic)
崩 (bēng) (of a king, emperor, monarch, etc.)
崩殂 (bēngcú) (Classical, of a king, emperor, monarch, etc.)
往生 (wǎngshēng) (euphemistic)
故 (gù)
故世 (gùshì) (euphemistic, chiefly of one's elders)
故去 (gùqù) (euphemistic, chiefly of one's elders)
早死 (zǎosǐ)
枯死 (kūsǐ) (literary, figurative)
死 (sǐ)
死亡 (sǐwáng) (formal)
死人 (sǐrén)
死去 (sǐqù) (informal)
死掉 (sǐdiào) (informal)
永眠 (yǒngmián) (euphemistic, honorific)
消忒 (Hakka, euphemistic)
物化 (wùhuà) (literary)
病故 (bìnggù) (to die of illness)
病逝 (bìngshì) (to die of illness)
老了 (lǎo le) (euphemistic, of the elderly)
薨 (hōng) (Classical Chinese, of feudal lords or high officials)
薨逝 (hōngshì) (of feudal lords)
走 (zǒu) (euphemistic)
走去踮 (Min Nan, euphemistic)
身亡 (shēnwáng) (formal, usually from unnatural causes)
逝世 (shìshì)
升天 (shēngtiān) (euphemistic)
仙遊／仙游 (xiānyóu) (euphemistic)
傾世／倾世 (qīngshì) (literary)
傾亡／倾亡 (qīngwáng) (literary)
凋謝／凋谢 (diāoxiè) (to die of old age)

喪亡／丧亡 (sàngwáng) (literary)
喪命／丧命 (sàngmìng) (euphemistic)
喪生／丧生 (sàngshēng) (euphemistic)
嗚呼／呜呼 (wūhū) (euphemistic)
嚥氣／咽气 (yànqì) (colloquial)
圓寂／圆寂 (yuánjì) (of Buddhist monks or nuns)
壽終正寢／寿终正寝 (shòuzhōngzhèngqǐn) (literary, euphemistic)
小喇叭兒吹了／小喇叭儿吹了 (xiǎo lǎbār chuī le) (Beijing)
就義／就义 (jiùyì) (to die a martyr)
掛／挂 (guà) (slang, humorous)
斃命／毙命 (bìmìng) (pejorative)
晏駕／晏驾 (yànjià) (of a king, emperor, monarch, etc.)
棄世／弃世 (qìshì) (literary)
歸天／归天 (guītiān) (euphemistic)
歸西／归西 (guīxī) (euphemistic)
歸道山／归道山 (guī dàoshān) (literary, euphemistic)
死翹翹／死翘翘 (sǐqiàoqiào) (informal, humorous)
死脫／死脱 (Wu)
殞／殒 (yǔn) (archaic)
氣絕／气绝 (qìjué) (literary)
沒世／没世 (mòshì) (literary)
畢命／毕命 (bìmìng) (formal, euphemistic)
百年歸老／百年归老 (bǎiniánguīlǎo) (euphemistic, of the elderly)
盡命／尽命 (jìnmìng) (literary, euphemistic)
終／终 (zhōng) (literary, or in compounds, euphemistic)
絕／绝 (jué) (literary, or in compounds)
翹辮子／翘辫子 (qiào biànzi) (informal, humorous)
被難／被难 (bèinàn) (to be killed in a disaster, political incident, etc.)
見背／见背 (jiànbèi) (literary, of one's parents or elders)
見閻王／见阎王 (jiàn Yánwáng) (figurative)
賓天／宾天 (bīntiān) (of a king, emperor, monarch, etc.)
辭世／辞世 (císhì) (literary)
進棺材／进棺材 (jìn guāncái)
過世／过世 (guòshì)
過去／过去 (guòqù) (euphemistic)
過往／过往 (Min Nan, euphemistic)
過身／过身 (guòshēn) (literary)
過面／过面 (Min Nan)
長山賣鴨卵／长山卖鸭卵 (Hakka, euphemistic)
長眠／长眠 (chángmián) (euphemistic, honorific)
閉眼／闭眼 (bìyǎn) (euphemistic)
隕落／陨落 (yǔnluò) (euphemistic)
離世／离世 (líshì) (euphemistic)
駕崩／驾崩 (jiàbēng) (of a king, emperor, monarch, etc.)
駕鶴西去／驾鹤西去 (jiàhèxīqù) (euphemistic)
駕鶴西遊／驾鹤西游 (jiàhèxīyóu) (euphemistic)
龍馭上賓／龙驭上宾 (lóngyùshàngbīn) (of an emperor)

References

“Entry #3935”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
忽	然
こつ Jinmeiyō	ぜん Grade: 4
on’yomi

Adjective

忽(こつ)然(ぜん) • (kotsuzen) ^†-tari (adnominal 忽(こつ)然(ぜん)たる (kotsuzen taru), adverbial 忽(こつ)然(ぜん)と (kotsuzen to) or 忽(こつ)然(ぜん)として (kotsuzen to shite))

sudden

Synonyms

忽焉(こつえん) (kotsuen)