「と思いきや」- Unexpected Outcome

Explanation

〜と思いきや is a Japanese grammatical structure used to express that something turned out differently than expected, meaning "I thought..., but actually...". It typically follows an expected situation with 〜と思いきや, and then introduces an unexpected result.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Noun + と思いきや	Noun + と思いきや	Indicates that something was expected to happen, but the result was unexpected.
Verb Plain Form + と思いきや	Verb Plain Form + と思いきや	Indicates that an action was expected to happen, but the result was unexpected.
い-Adjective Plain Form + と思いきや	い-Adjective Plain Form + と思いきや	Indicates that a state was expected to occur, but the result was unexpected.
な-Adjective Stem + と思いきや	な-Adjective Stem + と思いきや	Indicates that a quality was expected to occur, but the result was unexpected.

Basic Usage

〜と思いきや is used to express a significant difference between expectation and reality, often conveying the speaker's surprise or astonishment. It is mainly used for situations involving others or the surrounding environment.

Examples

• 彼かれは来くると思おもいきや、来こなかった。
• Kare wa kuru to omoikiya, konakatta.
• I thought he would come, but he didn't.
  

• 今日きょうは暑あつくなると思おもいきや、寒さむいぐらいになった。
• Kyou wa atsuku naru to omoikiya, samui gurai ni natta.
• I thought it would be hot today, but it turned out to be quite cold.
  

Deep Dive

Usage as a Conjunction

〜と思いきや can be used as a standalone conjunction to express a contrast.

• 雪ゆきが降ふった。と思おもいきやすぐに止やんだ。
• Yuki ga futta. To omoikiya sugu ni yanda.
• It started snowing, but it stopped right away.
  

Idiomatic Expressions

Some common question words can be combined with 〜と思いきや to form fixed expressions.

• 何なに事ごとかと思おもったら、隣人りんじんが事件じけんで亡なくなったらしい。
• Nanigoto ka to omottara, rinjin ga jiken de nakunatta rashii.
• I wondered why the police suddenly came to the house, but it seems the neighbor passed away due to an accident.
  

Comparison and Distinction

Expression	Description	Example
〜と思いきや	Expresses that the result is completely opposite to the expectation, often with a sense of surprise	彼かれは来くると思おもいきや、来こなかった。

Real-Life Scenarios

Daily Conversations

• A: 今日きょうの会議かいぎは長ながくなりそうですね。
• B: Sou desu ne. Demo, 早はやく終おわるかと思おもいきや、結局けっきょく三時間さんじかんもかかりました。
• A: Today's meeting seems like it will be long.
• B: Yes, but I thought it would end quickly, but it ended up taking three hours.
  

News Reports

• 昨日きのうは晴はれるかと思おもいきや、一日中いちにちじゅう雨あめが降ふり続つづいた。
• Kinou wa hareru ka to omoikiya, ichinichijuu ame ga furitsuzuita.
• I thought it would be sunny yesterday, but it rained all day.
  

Summary

〜と思いきや is a highly useful expression for describing the difference between expectation and reality, often conveying surprise or astonishment. Mastering this grammar point allows for more vivid expressions of unexpected outcomes, making daily conversations and writing more dynamic and engaging.