Meaning
然 is a classical Chinese particle that means 'so' or 'like that.' In modern Mandarin, it rarely appears alone but is extremely common as a suffix forming adjectives and adverbs, such as 突然 (suddenly), 当然 (of course), and 自然 (natural).
Usage
Native speakers almost never use 然 by itself in modern conversational Chinese. It survives primarily in set compounds and literary expressions. When you see 然, it's typically attached to another character to form a two-character adjective or adverb. These compounds are very common in both speech and writing.
Examples
- 01虽然下雨了，但是我们还是去了公园。, .Although it rained, we still went to the park.
- 02天气突然变冷了。.The weather suddenly turned cold.
Common collocations
- 然而'however, yet
- 居然unexpectedly, to one's surprise
- 显然obviously, evidently
- 果然as expected, sure enough
Origin
The character 然 originally depicted meat (月) being burned by fire (灬 at the bottom), with 犬 on top. It meant 'to burn' in ancient Chinese. The meaning later extended metaphorically to 'thus' or 'so,' and this became its primary function in classical Chinese.