他显然没有准备好 (tā xiǎnrán méiyǒu zhǔnbèi hǎo) — "He obviously wasn't prepared." In Mandarin, 显然 (xiǎnrán) means "obviously" or "evidently," and you place it before the clause to point out what is clearly true — never at the end of the sentence like English "obviously."
The structure is simple: 显然 (xiǎnrán) — Obviously / Evidently comes before the clause it modifies. In the example 他显然没有准备好 (tā xiǎnrán méiyǒu zhǔnbèi hǎo) — "He obviously wasn't prepared," 显然 sits before the verb phrase to signal that his lack of preparation was obvious. You can also place it at the start of a sentence. The key rule: never put it at the end the way you would in English.
This pattern is useful when you're analyzing why something went wrong or making observations about people's behavior — situations where you want to state what is clearly or obviously true in a conversation.
This HSK 5 speaking lesson focuses on one grammar pattern and takes about 10 minutes. You talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin in real time — voice, not typing. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level.
In this lesson, titled "Stating the Obvious," you'll practice using 显然 to point out what is evident in conversational contexts — for instance, discussing why a plan failed or commenting on someone's behavior. The first lesson can be tried free; no credit card required to start talking.
For more speaking practice at this level, explore the HSK 5 lessons hub page, or try another HSK 5 live lesson on 何况 (hékuàng) and a lesson on 总之 (zǒngzhī). You can also print free handwriting worksheets with the Chinese Worksheet Generator to reinforce characters from earlier HSK levels.
显然 (xiǎnrán) — Obviously / Evidently goes before the clause it modifies, either before the verb or at the start of the sentence. For example, in 他显然没有准备好 (tā xiǎnrán méiyǒu zhǔnbèi hǎo), it sits before the verb phrase. Never place it at the end of the sentence like English "obviously."
In this live conversation lesson titled "Stating the Obvious," you practice using 显然 (xiǎnrán) to point out what is clearly or obviously true — for example, analyzing why something went wrong or making observations about people's behavior. You talk with Mei Lin by voice for about 10 minutes.
Yes — the first lesson can be tried free; no credit card required to start talking. You'll speak out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin, who corrects grammar and pronunciation in real time and adapts to your level.
显然 (xiǎnrán) is an HSK 5 grammar point. This lesson is part of a series of HSK 5 live conversation lessons, each targeting one specific grammar pattern. The lesson takes about 10 minutes and focuses on placing 显然 correctly before the clause, not at the end.