竟
jìng
unexpectedly
actually; to go so far as to; indeed
Sound (音) + person kneeling (儿) = reaching an unexpected end
The image is of a person (儿) having reached the final note of a musical performance (音). That sense of arriving at an unexpected or surprising end gives 竟 its flavor of 'going so far as to' — something reached its conclusion against all expectation.
他竟然忘了今天是妈妈的生日。
tā jìng rán wàng le jīn tiān shì māma de shēng rì。
He actually forgot that today is mom's birthday.
这么小的孩子竟能说三种语言。
zhème xiǎo de hái zi jìng néng shuō sān zhǒng yǔ yán。
Such a young child can unexpectedly speak three languages.
Words with 竟
一探究竟
yī tàn jiū jìng
to check out
有志竟成
yǒu zhì jìng chéng
persevere and you will succeed (idiom); where there's a will, there's a way
有志者事竟成
yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng
a really determined person will find a solution (idiom); where there's a will, there's a way
未竟
wèi jìng
unfinished
未竟之志
wèi jìng zhī zhì
unfulfilled ambition
毕竟
bì jìng
after all
究竟
jiū jìng
to go to the bottom of a matter
竟敢
jìng gǎn
to have the impertinence; to have the cheek to
竟日
jìng rì
(literary) all day long
竟然
jìng rán
unexpectedly
竟陵
jìng líng
Jingling, former name of Tianmen 天門|天门, Hubei