A tool for teachers · new Beta

A student asks how 突然 is different from 忽然.You answer in two seconds.

404 sets of the near-synonyms teachers get asked about most, one card each. Search in class, copy it into your slides, teach — no more looking things up on the spot.

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What a card looks like

突然tūrán忽然hūrán

Say this in class

突然又能当形容词又能当副词；忽然是副词，只能放在动词前面。

Examples (6 in all, with pinyin and English)

他突然站了起来。忽然也可以
我忽然想起来，钥匙忘在家里了。
这个消息太突然了。✗太忽然了

A real student mistake✗ 这件事很忽然。→ ✓ 这件事很突然。

Also: what the words share, key differences, shared and own word partners, 6 exercises, a teacher's note, a 4-page PPT

Every set has

1 line
The difference
No jargon — read it out to the class.
6
Examples
With pinyin and English, marked where both words work and where only one does.
Real
Student mistakes
Sentences students really write wrong, and the fix.
6
Exercises
Answers stay covered, so a shared screen gives nothing away.
4 pages
PPT
Card, examples, exercises, answers — download and teach.
⌘V
Copy into slides
Paste a whole card into WPS with its colours and 楷体 kept.

In class

1
Search
Type a word, its pinyin, its English or a word partner; the set is there in two seconds.
2
Explain
Read the one line, show two or three examples, point at the usual mistake.
3
Practise
Put the exercises on screen and open the answers one by one.

How to use →

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Not sure yet? Start with the three free sets: 切／剁／剪、举办／举行／进行、突然／忽然

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Try three sets first

突然／忽然, 举办／举行／进行, and 切／剁／剪 (with pictures) are fully open; half of the other sets show their one-line difference. The real tool is right below — use it.

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378 sets · 378 awaiting review

词性差异Lesson 1Awaiting review

tūrán

突然

sudden; suddenly

形容词／副词 adj. / adv.HSK 3

hūrán

忽然

suddenly

副词 adv.HSK 4

In common

都说事情来得快、没想到，在动词前大多能换。

Say this in class

突然又能当形容词又能当副词；忽然是副词，只能放在动词前面。

突然 works as an adjective AND an adverb. 忽然 is only an adverb — it must sit in front of a verb.

Common collocations

All work～想起～停下～笑了～之间any word can go in ～; below, each word's own

突然

很突然太突然了突然的消息突然袭击发生得很突然

忽然

No collocation of its own

Examples · 6

1
他突然站了起来。
Tā tūrán zhàn le qǐlái.
He suddenly stood up.
忽然也可以
2
我忽然想起来，钥匙忘在家里了。
Wǒ hūrán xiǎng qǐlái, yàoshi wàng zài jiā li le.
I suddenly remembered I'd left my keys at home.
3
这个消息太突然了。
Zhège xiāoxi tài tūrán le.
This news is too sudden.
✗太忽然了
4
发生了一件很突然的事。
Fāshēng le yí jiàn hěn tūrán de shì.
Something very sudden happened.
✗很忽然的事
5
天忽然黑了下来。
Tiān hūrán hēi le xiàlái.
The sky suddenly went dark.
6
他的离开很突然。
Tā de líkāi hěn tūrán.
His leaving was very sudden.

Students often say

✗这件事很忽然。✓这件事很突然。

Teacher's note

突然还能修饰名词（突然的变化、突然袭击），忽然不行。学生说“忽然的事情”就是这个坑。

Exercises6 items · tap to reveal each answer

1.他来得很，我们都没准备好。
2.这个决定太了，大家都没想到。
3.我想起来，今天是他的生日。
4.发生了一件很的事。
5.天黑了下来。
6.哪句不能说？①他忽然笑了　②这件事很忽然

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