Definition
忽然 (hū rán) is the most common, neutral word for 'suddenly' in both speech and writing. It differs from 顿时 (dùn shí), which is used in narrative to describe an immediate change following a specific event, and from 猛然/骤然 (měng rán/zhòu rán), which are more literary and forceful. 一下 (yí xià) is more colloquial and often means 'all at once' with verbs.
adverb
suddenlyall of a sudden
Examples
- 忽然，。hū rán xià qǐ le dà yǔ, wǒmen zhǐhǎo duǒ jìn shāngdiàn.It suddenly started raining heavily, so we had to take shelter in a shop.
- 忽然。Tā hū rán xiǎng qǐ wàng le dài yàoshi.He suddenly remembered he forgot to bring his keys.
- 忽然，。hū rán diànhuà líng xiǎng le, xià le wǒ yí tiào.Suddenly the phone rang, giving me a fright.
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