<p>"焉" is a particle (語氣詞) in the sample sentence.</p>

<p>indicating 肯定, 疑問 or 感嘆:</p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=W00000010967" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=W00000010967</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-06T23:24:12.543Z
2018-11-06T23:24:12.543Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>Several Classical Chinese particles are of onomatopoetic origin, and have neither a fixed translation nor a fixed character representation.「焉」<strong>sometimes</strong> means <em>where</em> or <em>at</em>, but you'll have to rely on context to figure when this meaning applies.</p>

<p>Those meanings do not apply here.「焉」, in this context, is an end-of-phrase <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_particle" rel="nofollow noreferrer">modal particle</a> (句末語气詞).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>吾聞言於<strong>接輿</strong>，大而無當，往而不反。吾驚怖其言，猶河漢而無極也，大有逕庭，不近人情「焉」。</p>
  
  <p><em>I heard words from</em> <strong>接輿</strong> <em>which were extravagant but hollow, and irretrievable once uttered. His words frightened me;</em>  <strong>(1)</strong> <em>they were vast and boundless like the galaxy, polar opposite to reality, and worlds apart from the experiences of man <strong></em>(2)</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Two options for translating「焉」in this passage. Place one of these in their respective numbered positions:</p>

<ol>
<li><em>surely,</em></li>
<li>!</li>
</ol>

<blockquote>
  <p>For reference, a passage where <em>where</em> or <em>at</em> applies as a translation to「焉」:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>《左傳・隱公元年》：＂<strong>制</strong>，巖邑也，虢叔死「焉」。＂</p>
    
    <p><em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuo_zhuan" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Commentary of Zuo</a>, first ruling year of <a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B2%81%E9%9A%90%E5%85%AC" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Duke Yin of Lu</a>: "</em> <strong>制</strong> <em>, (name of a) strategically important city.</em> <a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E8%99%A2%E5%8F%94" rel="nofollow noreferrer">虢叔</a> <em>passed away</em>「<em>here</em>」<em>."</em></p>
  </blockquote>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<p><strong>Reference:</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>《王力古漢語字典》</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-06T23:50:19.400Z
2018-11-07T00:26:26.790Z
2018-11-07T00:26:26.790Z
dROOOze
<p>The full sentence is: 「肩吾问於连叔曰：“吾闻言於接舆，大而无当，往而不返，吾惊怖其言，犹河汉而无极也！大有迳庭，不近人情焉。”」</p>

<p>焉 means "where" or "at" (correct me if I'm wrong), so what does 焉 serve here?</p>

<classical-chinese>
What is the purpose of 焉 in 「不近人情焉」?
# What is the purpose of 焉 in 「不近人情焉」?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-06)

The full sentence is: 「肩吾问於连叔曰：“吾闻言於接舆，大而无当，往而不返，吾惊怖其言，犹河汉而无极也！大有迳庭，不近人情焉。”」

焉 means "where" or "at" (correct me if I'm wrong), so what does 焉 serve here?

**Tags:** classical-chinese


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-11-06. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Several Classical Chinese particles are of onomatopoetic origin, and have neither a fixed translation nor a fixed character representation.「焉」**sometimes** means *where* or *at*, but you'll have to rely on context to figure when this meaning applies.

Those meanings do not apply here.「焉」, in this context, is an end-of-phrase [modal particle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_particle) (句末語气詞).

> 吾聞言於**接輿**，大而無當，往而不反。吾驚怖其言，猶河漢而無極也，大有逕庭，不近人情「焉」。
>
> *I heard words from* **接輿** *which were extravagant but hollow, and irretrievable once uttered. His words frightened me;* **(1)** *they were vast and boundless like the galaxy, polar opposite to reality, and worlds apart from the experiences of man* (2)

Two options for translating「焉」in this passage. Place one of these in their respective numbered positions:

1. *surely,*
2. !

> For reference, a passage where *where* or *at* applies as a translation to「焉」:
>
> > 《左傳・隱公元年》：＂**制**，巖邑也，虢叔死「焉」。＂
> >
> > *[Commentary of Zuo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuo_zhuan), first ruling year of [Duke Yin of Lu](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B2%81%E9%9A%90%E5%85%AC): "* **制** *, (name of a) strategically important city.* [虢叔](https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E8%99%A2%E5%8F%94) *passed away*「*here*」*."*

---

**Reference:**

* 《王力古漢語字典》


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-11-06. Score: 0

"焉" is a particle (語氣詞) in the sample sentence.

indicating 肯定, 疑問 or 感嘆:

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=W00000010967>


---

