果然

果然 (guǒrán) is an adverb meaning 'sure enough,' 'as expected,' or 'just as one predicted.' It confirms that reality matched a prior expectation, guess, or warning — you thought it would rain, and 果然 it rained. It typically sits before the verb or at the head of the clause reporting the confirmed outcome. Two things differ from English 'as expected.'

First, 果然 carries a small note of vindication or 'I knew it' — it is not neutral reporting but a speaker's satisfaction (or resignation) that the prediction came true. Second, English 'sure enough' can feel casual and detached; 果然 more strongly links back to a specific earlier thought or claim. There is a rhetorical variant 果然不出所料 ('just as anticipated'). Register is neutral and common in both speech and writing.