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吃惊 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
吃惊chījīngto be startledHSK 4, a, rank #2048, Medium
吃惊chījīngto be shockedHSK 4, a, rank #2048, Medium
吃惊chījīngto be amazedHSK 4, a, rank #2048, Medium
chījīng(chi1jing1) T1
  1. 1to be startled
  2. 2to be shocked
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March 24, 2026
吃惊(吃驚)chījīng(chi1jing1)

吃惊 means to be startled or shocked by something unexpected. It conveys a strong emotional reaction, often in response to surprising news or events. This word is commonly used in both spoken and written contexts to express amazement or disbelief.

Frequency#2048DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing surprise or shock is often done in a light-hearted manner, reflecting the importance of maintaining harmony in social interactions. People may downplay their shock to avoid making others uncomfortable.

Memory Tip

Imagine taking a big bite (吃) of something surprising, which makes you gasp in shock (惊). The character 吃 represents 'to eat' or 'to take in,' while 惊 suggests suddenness or astonishment, like a sudden jolt.

Meanings of 吃惊

chījīng(chi1jing1)
1to be startled
2to be shocked
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 吃惊

吃惊Simplified
吃驚Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#2048Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 吃惊

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Podcast: 吃惊

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AI Study Notes for 吃惊

Quick Contrast

吃惊 (chījīng) vs 惊讶 (jīngyà) — use 吃惊 for a stronger emotional reaction to unexpected events, while 惊讶 is more about mild surprise.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine taking a big bite (吃) of something surprising, which makes you gasp in shock (惊). The character 吃 represents 'to eat' or 'to take in,' while 惊 suggests suddenness or astonishment, like a sudden jolt.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 吃惊 with similar expressions like 震惊 (zhèn jīng), which is more formal and means 'to be shocked.' 吃惊 is more conversational and often used in everyday situations. Pair it with adverbs like 很 (hěn) to intensify the meaning: '很吃惊' means 'very shocked.'

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 4 word, 吃惊 connects with other emotional response words like 高兴 (gāo xìng, happy) and 难过 (nán guò, sad). Students should focus on using it in context and practicing with phrases that express surprise or disbelief.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing surprise or shock is often done in a light-hearted manner, reflecting the importance of maintaining harmony in social interactions. People may downplay their shock to avoid making others uncomfortable.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 吃惊 with 惊讶 (jīng yà), which also means 'to be surprised' but has a more neutral tone. For example, saying '我觉得这件事很惊讶' is incorrect in casual contexts; instead, use 吃惊 to convey a stronger emotional response.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 吃惊

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Component Characters

吃chīto eat
HSK 16 strokes口
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惊jīngto start
HSK 711 strokes忄
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Write 吃惊

吃
惊

Practice writing 吃惊 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 吃惊

吃惊 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

然后，令人____的是，后门被宾顿猛地拉开了。

Then, startlingly, the back door was jerked open by Binton.

Example Sentences for 吃惊 (10)

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1
然后，令人吃惊的是，后门被宾顿猛地拉开了。

rán hòu， ， líng rén chī jīng de， shì ， hòu mén bèi bīn dùn měng dì lā。

Then, startlingly, the back door was jerked open by Binton.
2
他对国际事务缺乏经验且无知，这很让我吃惊。

tā duì guó jì shì wù quē fá jīng yàn qiě wú zhī， ， zhè hěn ràng wǒ chī。

I was alarmed by his naivety and ignorance of international affairs.
3
令他们吃惊的是，开车的居然是个6岁的小男孩。

líng tā mén chī jīng de shì， ， kāi chē de jū rán shì6 gè 6 suì de xiǎo。

They were astonished to find the driver was a six-year-old boy.
4
“那真令人吃惊。”——“这有什么，”我不露声色地说。

“ “ nà zhēn líng rén chī。”——“ jīng 。”——“ zhè yǒu，” shí mó ，” wǒ bù lòu shēng。

"That is surprising." — "Hardly," I said drily.
5
那些匿名电话的恶毒语气很令他吃惊。

nà xiē nì míng diàn huà de è dú yǔ qì hěn líng tā chī jīng。

He was surprised by the venomous tone of the anonymous calls.
6
他语调中透着急迫，这让她很吃惊。

tā yǔ tiáo zhōng tòu zháo jí pò， ， zhè ràng tā hěn chī。

She was surprised at the urgency in his voice.
7
她曾随口提到过，当时她的冷漠很让他吃惊。

tā zēng suí kǒu tí dào guò， ， dāng shí tā de lěng mò hěn ràng tā chī。

She'd mentioned it casually once, surprising him by her unconcern.
8
钱特尔会认为表现出吃惊是失态的。

qián tè ěr huì rèn wéi biǎo xiàn chū chī jīng shì shī tài de。

Chantal would have considered it ill-mannered to show surprise.
9
鲍勃试着推了推门。令他吃惊的是，门竟然开了。

bào bó shì zháo tuī le tuī mén。 。 líng tā chī jīng de， shì ， mén jìng rán。

Bob tried the door. To his surprise it opened.
10
关汽车门时发出的声音使他们很吃惊.

guān qì chē mén shí fā chū de shēng yīn shǐ tā mén hěn chī jīng.

They were surprised by the slam of a car door.

Cultural Notes for 吃惊

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, expressing surprise or shock is often done in a light-hearted manner, reflecting the importance of maintaining harmony in social interactions. People may downplay their shock to avoid making others uncomfortable.

Frequently Asked Questions about 吃惊

Yes, 吃惊 can be used for both positive and negative surprises, but context will clarify the emotional tone.