詫 (chà) - to be surprised & to be astonished

詫Tone 4

chà ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

詫 · chà

to be surprised;

to be astonished;

to wonder;

strange;

surprising

to be surprisedto be astonishedto wonder

Usage highlights

be surprisedlook surprisedcause surprisesurprised expressionastonished and speechlesssurprise guest

Synonyms

  • 惊— to be startled, surprised
  • 讶— to be surprised, astonished
  • 愕— to be stunned, astounded

Antonyms

  • 常— normal, ordinary (opposite of surprising)
  • 预— to anticipate, predict (opposite of unexpected)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He was surprised by the news (感到诧异).
  • She looked at me with astonishment (诧异地).
  • This result is quite unexpected (令人诧异).
  • I was shocked by his sudden appearance (诧愕不已).

Collocations

  • be surprised(诧异)
  • look surprised(诧异地)
  • cause surprise(令人诧异)
  • surprised expression(诧异的表情)
  • astonished and speechless(诧愕)
  • surprise guest(诧客)

Idioms

  • Greatly astonished and unable to speak(诧愕失声)
  • Surprised and suspicious(诧疑)
  • Astonished and bewildered(诧惑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'to boast' or 'to brag' in ancient texts, later evolved to mean 'to be surprised'.
  • Often used in classical Chinese literature to describe characters' reactions to unexpected events.
  • The character combines 'speech' (言) with 'mansion' (宅), suggesting surprising speech or news.

FAQ