Formal and Literary ‘-rán’ Words
然
How it works
At HSK6 level, learners often encounter formal or literary words ending in 然 (rán). Depending on the word and context, they may function as adverbs, adjectives, or nouns.
显然 (xiǎnrán) obviously; evident
突然 (tūrán) suddenly; sudden
必然 (bìrán) inevitably; inevitable; necessity
依然 (yīrán) still; as before
偶然 (ǒurán) accidentally; chance; fortuitous
In these words, 然 (rán) contributes a literary or formal flavor, and many such forms function as adverbs, adjectives, or abstract descriptive words.
Example sentences
从目前掌握的事实来看，对方的解释中显然存在不少前后矛盾的地方。
Judging from the facts currently available, the other side’s explanation clearly contains several inconsistencies.
他虽然经历了不少变化，但内心深处依然保持着最初的那份坚持。
Although he has gone through many changes, deep down he remains committed to his original convictions.
这种结果并不是偶然出现的，而是长期积累之后的一种必然。
This result did not arise by chance; it was the inevitable outcome of a long process of accumulation.
Key point
Many -然 (rán) words are lexical items rather than productive grammar, but together they form an important high-level stylistic pattern in formal Chinese.