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突如其來

简突如其来 · 繁突如其來

Mandarin · pinyin tū rú qí lái

to arise abruptly
to arrive suddenly
happening suddenly

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Characters in this entry

突: tū · suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly
如: rú · if, supposing; as if; like, as
其: qí · his, her, its, their; that
來: lái · come, coming; return, returning
来: lái · come, coming; return, returning

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–2–2–2 · tu1 ru2 qi2 lai2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

突如其來 · find source passages ↗ · 突如其来 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

dat6 jyu4 kei4 loi4

Cantonese word readings for 突如其來. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) sudden; suddenly; abrupt; abruptly

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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