Expressing "as expected" with "guoran"

You can add the adverb 果然 (guǒrán) to add the sense that what you're about to say is entirely expected. It's kind of like starting a sentence with "just as we thought" or "just as we expected," but it's just one word in Chinese. It's kind of like the opposite of 竟然 or 居然.

Used before Predicate

Structure

Subj. + 果然 + Predicate

Examples

• 第一名 果然 是 她 ！我 就 知道 。She won the first prize! I knew it.
• 大厨 做 的 菜 果然 不一样 ！好吃 ！The food that the chef cooked is extraordinary! Delicious!
• 你 说 得 没错 ！他 果然 是 个 骗子 ！You were right. He's absolutely a liar!
• 这个 止疼药 果然 有效 ，我的 头疼 好多了 。This painkiller works really well. My headache is gone.

Used as before a Clause

果然 can also come before a full independent clause. In this case, it is usually preceded by a comma.

Structure

Clause 1 ，果然 ，Clause 2

Examples

• 司机 师傅 说 马上 到 ，果然 ，两分钟 以后 车 就 来 了 。The taxi driver said he would be here very soon. His car got here in only two minutes.
• 他 让 我 别 担心 ，果然 ，他 很快 修好 了 我们 的 网络 。He told me not to worry about it. He fixed out internet very soon.

Colloquial Sayings

• 果然如此
• 果然不出所料

• 天气 预报 说 今早 要 下 大雨 ，果然 如此 ！It rained heavily this morning as the weather forecast said.
• 果然 不出所料 ，内奸 就是 他 ！He is the mole, as I expected.

See also

• Expressing the unexpected with "jingran"

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK6