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惊讶 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
惊讶jīngyàamazedHSK 6, a, rank #1649, Hard
惊讶jīngyàastonishedHSK 6, a, rank #1649, Hard
惊讶jīngyàto surpriseHSK 6, a, rank #1649, Hard
惊讶jīngyàamazingHSK 6, a, rank #1649, Hard
惊讶jīngyàastonishmentHSK 6, a, rank #1649, Hard
惊讶jīngyàaweHSK 6, a, rank #1649, Hard
jīngyà(jing1ya4) T1
  1. 1amazed
  2. 2astonished
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March 24, 2026
惊讶(驚訝)jīngyà(jing1ya4)

惊讶 (jīng yà) means to be amazed or astonished, often in response to something unexpected or surprising. It is commonly used to express emotional reactions to events, news, or actions that defy one’s expectations, conveying a sense of awe or wonder.

Frequency#1649DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing surprise or astonishment can be more reserved compared to Western cultures, where overt expressions of shock or excitement are common. The reaction to surprising news may involve a more subdued response, reflecting the value placed on composure.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant ‘Jing’ (sounds like 'jean') that suddenly appears and shocks you, causing your eyes to widen in amazement. The character 惊 (jīng) contains the radical for heart (忄), which relates to feeling, while 讶 (yà) looks like a person (亻) expressing shock, helping you remember the emotional weight of the word.

Meanings of 惊讶

jīngyà(jing1ya4)
1amazed
2astonished
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 惊讶

惊讶Simplified
驚訝Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#1649Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 惊讶

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Podcast: 惊讶

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AI Study Notes for 惊讶

Quick Contrast

惊奇 (jīngqí) vs 惊讶 (jīngyà): use 惊奇 for a sense of wonder or curiosity, while 惊讶 emphasizes shock or surprise.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a giant ‘Jing’ (sounds like 'jean') that suddenly appears and shocks you, causing your eyes to widen in amazement. The character 惊 (jīng) contains the radical for heart (忄), which relates to feeling, while 讶 (yà) looks like a person (亻) expressing shock, helping you remember the emotional weight of the word.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 惊讶 with similar terms like 惊喜 (jīng xǐ), which means 'pleasant surprise.' This word is generally informal, so it's suitable for conversations but may not fit formal writing. Common collocations include '让人惊讶' (to make someone surprised) or '感到惊讶' (to feel astonished).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 6 word, 惊讶 is often used in advanced conversations about emotions and reactions. Students should focus on using it in context, perhaps by describing surprising events or reactions in stories or discussions, and connect it with other emotional vocabulary.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing surprise or astonishment can be more reserved compared to Western cultures, where overt expressions of shock or excitement are common. The reaction to surprising news may involve a more subdued response, reflecting the value placed on composure.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 惊讶 with 惊喜 (jīng xǐ), which specifically means 'pleasant surprise.' For example, saying '我对这个结果感到惊喜' (I feel amazed by this result) should actually use 惊讶 instead of 惊喜.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 惊讶

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Component Characters

惊jīngto start
HSK 711 strokes忄
View full entry
讶yàastounded
6 strokes讠
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Write 惊讶

惊
讶

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

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Grammar Patterns of 惊讶

惊讶 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 6 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.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

她在挑逗我，这让我感到既____又受宠若惊。

She was hitting on me and I was surprised and flattered.

Example Sentences for 惊讶 (10)

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1
她在挑逗我，这让我感到既惊讶又受宠若惊。

tā zài tiāo dòu wǒ， ， zhè ràng wǒ gǎn dào jì jīng yà yòu shòu chǒng ruò。

She was hitting on me and I was surprised and flattered.
2
他俩居然结婚了——这让他非常惊讶，因为他们实在是太不一样了。

tā liǎng jū rán jié hūn le—— —— zhè ràng tā fēi cháng jīng， yà ， yīn wéi tā mén shí zài shì tài bù yī。

He was surprised they had married — they had seemed so different.
3
我真惊讶他们当初竟然有脸问。

wǒ zhēn jīng yà tā mén dāng chū jìng rán yǒu liǎn wèn。

I'm amazed they had the cheek to ask in the first place.
4
斯科比惊讶地问道:“你是说他会投她的反对票吗?”

sī kē bǐ jīng yà dì wèn dào:“ :“ nǐ shì shuō tā huì tóu tā de fǎn duì piào?”

"You mean he's going to vote against her?" Scobie asked in surprise.
5
如果他要离开伯明翰，说真的，我会很惊讶。

rú guǒ tā yào lí kāi bó míng hàn， ， shuō zhēn， de ， wǒ huì hěn。

I would be surprised, actually, if he left Birmingham.
6
位于伦敦的英国外交部对这些说法表示惊讶.

wèi yú lún dūn de yīng guó wài jiāo bù duì zhè xiē shuō fǎ biǎo shì jīng yà.

The Foreign Office in London has expressed surprise at these allegations.
7
“我不同意，”她说道，对自己的声音如此响亮有力而感到惊讶。

“ “ wǒ bù tóng，” yì ，” tā， shuō dào ， duì zì jǐ de shēng yīn rú cǐ xiǎng liàng yǒu lì ér gǎn。

"I don'tagree," she said, surprised at the strength in her own voice.
8
每次我都很惊讶，尼尔怎么能讲出这么索然无味的东西。

měi cì wǒ dū hěn jīng yà， ， ní ěr zěn mó néng jiǎng chū zhè mó suǒ rán wú wèi de dōng。

Neil's ability to utter banalities never ceased to amaze me.
9
我的声音听起来心平气和、不露一丝感情，这让我自己颇感惊讶。

wǒ de shēng yīn tīng qǐ lái xīn píng qì hé、 、 bù lòu yī sī gǎn， qíng ， zhè ràng wǒ zì jǐ pō gǎn。

My voice surprised me; it was even and emotionless.
10
得知她仍然在写自己的小说，我感到很惊讶。

dé zhī tā réng rán zài xiě zì jǐ de xiǎo shuō， ， wǒ gǎn dào hěn jīng。

I was amazed to learn she was still writing her stories.

Cultural Notes for 惊讶

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, expressing surprise or astonishment can be more reserved compared to Western cultures, where overt expressions of shock or excitement are common. The reaction to surprising news may involve a more subdued response, reflecting the value placed on composure.

Frequently Asked Questions about 惊讶

It's generally better suited for informal contexts. In formal writing, consider using synonyms or phrases that convey surprise without the emotional nuance.