Usage of 果然
The adverb 果然 is used to express that something happened just as expected or predicted. It often conveys a sense of confirmation or realization that a prior assumption or guess was correct.
Common contexts
It is frequently used in spoken and written Chinese to emphasize that the outcome matches what was anticipated, often after some evidence or observation.
Typical collocations
- 果然没有 (really didn't) — to confirm a negative expectation
- 果然很 (really very) — to emphasize a strong degree
- 果然应该 (really should) — to express a conclusion or realization
Nuance and register
果然 carries a neutral to slightly formal tone and is common in everyday conversation and media. It differs from similar words like 真的 (really) by emphasizing the fulfillment of expectation rather than just truth or intensity.
Common confusion
Do not confuse 果然 with 竟然, which often expresses surprise or unexpectedness. 果然 implies the opposite: that the result was anticipated.