adjective / adverb HSK 5
rán
inevitable · certain · necessary · inevitably

Meaning

必然 means something that is bound to happen or is logically certain. It describes outcomes or consequences that cannot be avoided given certain conditions. The word emphasizes the inevitability or necessity of something occurring, often used in more formal or analytical contexts.

Usage

必然 is commonly used in written and formal spoken Chinese, particularly in academic, philosophical, or analytical discussions. It often appears before verbs to indicate that an action will inevitably occur, or as an adjective to describe inevitable results. Native speakers frequently use it in cause-and-effect reasoning.

Examples

  1. 01
    长期不锻炼必然会影响健康。
    Cháng duàn liàn rán huì yǐng xiǎng jiàn kāng.
    Not exercising for a long time will inevitably affect your health.
  2. 02
    这是社会发展的必然趋势。
    Zhè shì shè huì zhǎn de rán shì.
    This is an inevitable trend in social development.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 必然结果
    rán jié guǒ
    inevitable result
  • 必然趋势
    rán shì
    inevitable trend
  • 必然
    rán xìng
    inevitability, necessity
  • 必然导致
    rán dǎo zhì
    inevitably lead to

Antonyms

Origin

必 originally meant 'must' or 'certainly', while 然 means 'so' or 'like that'. Together they form a compound meaning 'must be so', emphasizing logical necessity or inevitability.

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