惊讶

驚訝

jīngyà

adjective HSK 7-9 #1,649

Meanings

1 surprised; astonished
2 taken aback

Characters

to startle; surprised

surprised; amazed

Both characters express surprise — a straightforward compound for being caught off guard.

Examples

他对这个消息感到非常惊讶。

Tā duì zhège xiāoxi gǎndào fēicháng jīngyà.

He was very surprised by this news.

我惊讶地发现他已经走了。

Wǒ jīngyà de fāxiàn tā yǐjīng zǒu le.

I was surprised to find he had already left.

Tips

usage

惊讶 is the most neutral 'surprised' in Chinese — no positive or negative connotation. Compare: 惊喜 (jīngxǐ, pleasantly surprised), 惊奇 (jīngqí, amazed with wonder), 吃惊 (chījīng, startled/shocked).

Stroke Order

惊 jīng

讶 yà