bỗng nhiên

Level ≈B1 (approx.) adverb Top 3,000 most common

Hanoi [ʔɓəwŋ͡m˦ˀ˥ ɲiən˧˧]Huế [ʔɓəwŋ͡m˧˨ ɲiəŋ˧˧]Saigon [ʔɓəwŋ͡m˨˩˦ ɲiəŋ˧˧] browser voice

Syllables · tones

bỗngcreaky risingngã nhiênlevelngang

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

bỗng nhiên means suddenly; unexpectedly.

Meanings of bỗng nhiên in English

Adverb

suddenly; unexpectedly

Example sentences with bỗng nhiên

Anh ấy đã bỗng nhiên xuất hiện. He appeared from nowhere.
Chúng tôi đã bỗng nhiên gặp nhau ở nhà ga. We ran into each other at the station.
Bỗng nhiên cô ấy dừng lại và nhìn xung quanh mình. All of a sudden she stops and looks around her.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Frequently asked questions

What does bỗng nhiên mean in English?

bỗng nhiên (adverb) means "suddenly; unexpectedly".

How do you pronounce bỗng nhiên?

IPA: Hanoi [ʔɓəwŋ͡m˦ˀ˥ ɲiən˧˧]; Saigon [ʔɓəwŋ͡m˨˩˦ ɲiəŋ˧˧]. Tones: bỗng — creaky rising tone (ngã), nhiên — level tone (ngang).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.