竟然
jìngrán · HSK 4
to one's surprise
😲 竟然 = 竟 (after all) + 然 (so) — 'after all, so!' = surprise
竟 means 'in the end / after all' and 然 means 'so / like that'. Together they flag that what follows defied expectation. Drop 竟然 before a verb to mean 'and yet, surprisingly, X happened'.
竟 — 音 (sound) + 儿 (person) below
Originally depicted a person (儿) finishing a musical performance (音), suggesting the end or completion of something. The meaning extended to 'finish,' 'in the end,' and 'unexpectedly.' The component 音 also hints at the pronunciation.