Attitude adverbs: 偏偏/偶尔/竟然/随便
Attitude adverbs go before a verb to show how the speaker feels about the action. At HSK 4 they are 偏偏 (against what was wanted), 偶尔 (once in a while), 竟然 (surprisingly) and 随便 (casually, as one likes).
这四个副词都表达说话者的态度或评价。
| 副词 | 读音 | 意思 | 语气 |
|------|------|------|------|
| 偏偏 | piān piān | contrary to expectation / stubbornly | 不满/强调反差 |
| 偶尔 | ǒu ěr | occasionally | 中性/说明频率低 |
| 竟然 | jìng rán | unexpectedly / to one's surprise | 惊讶/难以置信 |
| 随便 | suí biàn | casually / whatever (indifferent) | 随意/不在乎 |
偏偏 表示与预期或希望相反：我叫他别来，他偏偏来了。
竟然 表示结果令人惊讶：她竟然忘了！(stronger than 居然)
偶尔 与 经常/从不 对比：他平时不喝酒，偶尔喝一点儿。
随便 表示无所谓的态度或随意行动。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 今天约好八点见面，他偏偏九点才到，真让人生气。 | Jīn tiān yuē hǎo bā diǎn jiàn miàn, tā piān piān jiǔ diǎn cái dào, zhēn ràng rén shēng qì. | We agreed to meet at 8, but he showed up at 9 — exactly contrary to the plan. So annoying. | 偏偏 expresses frustration — his late arrival was contrary to the agreement and expectation |
| 他平时不喝咖啡，偶尔喝一杯，所以对咖啡因特别敏感。 | Tā píng shí bù hē kā fēi, ǒu ěr hē yī bēi, suǒ yǐ duì kā fēi yīn tè bié mǐn gǎn. | He doesn't usually drink coffee — only occasionally — so he's particularly sensitive to caffeine. | 偶尔 (occasionally) contrasts with 平时不… (usually doesn't) to show low frequency |
| 他竟然一个人爬上了那座大山，大家都没想到他能做到。 | Tā jìng rán yī ge rén pá shàng le nà zuò dà shān, dà jiā dōu méi xiǎng dào tā néng zuò dào. | He surprisingly climbed that large mountain all by himself — no one expected he could do it. | 竟然 expresses strong surprise — the outcome contradicted everyone's expectations |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
偏偏 (piānpiān)
Shows that something goes against what the speaker wanted or expected, often with annoyance.
Structure: subject + 偏偏 + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我想早点儿睡，邻居偏偏在唱歌。 | Wǒ xiǎng zǎo diǎnr shuì, lín ju piān piān zài chàng gē. | I wanted an early night, and of all times the neighbour is singing. |
| 大家都说别去，他偏偏要去。 | Dà jiā dōu shuō bié qù, tā piān piān yào qù. | Everyone said not to go, but he insisted on going. |
| 今天忘了带伞，偏偏下大雨了。 | Jīn tiān wàng le dài sǎn, piān piān xià dà yǔ le. | I forgot my umbrella today, and of course it poured. |
Not: 我偏偏喜欢这个电影，因为很好看。 偏偏 shows something runs against a wish or expectation. Do not use it for plain liking.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 7-9, adverbs (语气副词).
偶尔 (ǒu'ěr)
Means "once in a while": the action happens, but rarely.
Structure: subject + 偶尔 + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我平时坐地铁，偶尔也骑自行车。 | Wǒ píng shí zuò dì tiě, ǒu ěr yě qí zì xíng chē. | I usually take the subway, and now and then I ride a bike. |
| 他偶尔会给我打电话。 | Tā ǒu ěr huì gěi wǒ dǎ diàn huà. | He calls me once in a while. |
| 偶尔吃一次蛋糕没关系。 | Ǒu ěr chī yí cì dàn gāo méi guān xì. | It is fine to eat cake once in a while. |
Not: 我偶尔每天喝茶。 偶尔 means rarely, so it cannot go with 每天. Say 我每天喝茶 or 我偶尔喝茶.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, adverbs (频率副词).
偶尔 is also explained in: Frequency & Manner Adverbs: 偶尔、再次、偷偷 (HSK 5).
竟然 (jìngrán)
Shows surprise that something happened, because nobody expected it.
Structure: subject + 竟然 + verb phrase
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这么难的题，他竟然做对了。 | Zhè me nán de tí, tā jìng rán zuò duì le. | He got such a hard question right, which is surprising. |
| 我竟然在这里遇到了小学同学。 | Wǒ jìng rán zài zhè lǐ yù dào le xiǎo xué tóng xué. | I ran into a primary school classmate here, of all places. |
| 他竟然没有告诉我就走了。 | Tā jìng rán méi yǒu gào su wǒ jiù zǒu le. | He actually left without telling me. |
Not: 我不知道竟然。 竟然 comes before the verb, not at the end: 我竟然不知道.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, adverbs (语气副词).
随便 (suíbiàn)
Means casually or as one likes, without a fixed choice or much care.
Structure: 随便 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你随便坐，不用客气。 | Nǐ suí biàn zuò, bú yòng kè qi. | Sit wherever you like, no need to be polite. |
| 这件事不能随便决定。 | Zhè jiàn shì bù néng suí biàn jué dìng. | This cannot be decided casually. |
| 我随便看看，不买东西。 | Wǒ suí biàn kàn kan, bù mǎi dōng xi. | I am just looking around, not buying anything. |
Not: 你坐随便。 随便 comes before the verb: 你随便坐.
Compared side by side: 竟然 vs 居然.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list Attitude adverbs among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Attitude adverbs
What does 语气副词 (Attitude adverbs) mean in Chinese?
Attitude adverbs go before a verb to show how the speaker feels about the action. At HSK 4 they are 偏偏 (against what was wanted), 偶尔 (once in a while), 竟然 (surprisingly) and 随便 (casually, as one likes). It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 语气副词 (Attitude adverbs) in a sentence?
今天约好八点见面，他偏偏九点才到，真让人生气。 — Jīn tiān yuē hǎo bā diǎn jiàn miàn, tā piān piān jiǔ diǎn cái dào, zhēn ràng rén shēng qì. — We agreed to meet at 8, but he showed up at 9 — exactly contrary to the plan. So annoying. 偏偏 expresses frustration — his late arrival was contrary to the agreement and expectation.
What do you need to know before 语气副词 (Attitude adverbs)?
Modal Stance Adverbs (HSK 3). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 语气副词 (Attitude adverbs) lead to?
Frequency & Manner Adverbs (HSK 5). Each of them names 语气副词 (Attitude adverbs) among its own prerequisites.
What is the difference between 竟然 and 居然?
Both express surprise and are almost the same. 竟然 is a little more common in writing, 居然 in speech: 他竟然忘了我的名字.
Attitude adverbs is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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