既然
since; given that
HSK level
- Pinyin
- jìrán
- Part of speech
- conjunction
- Level
- HSK 4
- Strokes
- 21
- Register
- neutral
Stroke order for 既然
既然 is written with 21 strokes (既: 9, 然: 12). The animation replays automatically.
What does 既然 mean?
既然 (jìrán) is a conjunction meaning 'since' or 'given that,' used to introduce a fact that is already known or accepted, from which a conclusion or decision follows.
Crucially, 既然 marks a reason the listener already agrees with — it does not present new information the way English 'because' does. It typically opens the first clause and is answered by 就 (jiù), 那 (nà), or 那么 in the second: 既然你累了，就早点休息 (since you're tired, rest early).
Two things trip up English speakers: first, 既然 is about an accepted premise, so 因为 (yīnwèi, 'because') is the word for genuinely explaining a new cause; second, the paired 就 is almost obligatory — dropping it sounds incomplete. 既然 often carries a slightly persuasive or reasoning tone, as if saying 'well, given that this is true, then it makes sense to…'.
Note: Neutral — common in both speech and writing. It almost always pairs with 就 or 那 in the second clause, so learners should treat 既然…就… as a single frame rather than a lone word.
Character by character
Memory hook: 既 = 'already the case,' so 既然 = 'since this is already so…' — draw a conclusion from an agreed fact.
Example sentences
既然你不想去，那就别去了。
Jìrán nǐ bù xiǎng qù, nà jiù bié qù le.
Since you don't want to go, then don't.
spoken
既然大家都到了，我们就开始吧。
Jìrán dàjiā dōu dào le, wǒmen jiù kāishǐ ba.
Since everyone's here, let's begin.
neutral
既然如此，我也没什么好说的了。
Jìrán rúcǐ, wǒ yě méi shénme hǎo shuō de le.
Given that's the case, I have nothing more to say.
written
既然来了，就多待一会儿吧。
Jìrán lái le, jiù duō dāi yíhuìr ba.
Since you're already here, stay a while longer.
spoken
Common phrases with 既然
Synonyms
既 alone is the terser, more literary version of 既然 and appears mostly in written or fixed expressions (既来之，则安之). In ordinary speech, 既然 is the natural choice; 既 by itself sounds bookish or archaic.
Don't confuse 既然 with
因为 ('because') gives a genuine cause and can introduce information the listener doesn't yet know. 既然 assumes the reason is already accepted and draws a conclusion from it. 因为 explains why; 既然 says 'given that, then…'.
居然 means 'unexpectedly / to one's surprise' — an adverb of astonishment. It looks and sounds similar but is unrelated in meaning to the reasoning conjunction 既然.
FAQ
Acquire it by listening
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