日本語道場

Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2

Grammar

N2

～と思いきや

~to omoikiya

contrary to expectation

When to use it

Use ～と思いきや in written or semi-formal spoken Japanese to report that a reasonable expectation was immediately overturned by fact. It is common in reports, minutes, and analytical writing where you want to highlight a surprising outcome; the speaker is an observer, so it does not work for stating your own intentions. Slightly literary — in casual speech ～と思ったら / ～と思っていたのに is more natural.

Formation

  • Verbs: plain (dictionary or past) form + と思いきや — 難航すると思いきや / 決まったと思いきや
  • i-adjectives: plain form + と思いきや — 厳しいと思いきや
  • na-adjectives: stem (no だ) + と思いきや — 不利と思いきや (also 不利だと思いきや)
  • Nouns: bare noun + と思いきや — 赤字と思いきや
  • Often with か: 〜かと思いきや, which softens it to "I half expected…"
  • The second clause states the actual result, usually in past tense; it cannot express the speaker's own volition.

Examples

  • I expected the negotiation to drag on, but it was settled on the spot.

  • I thought we'd gotten approval, but it came with conditions.

  • I assumed the client was dissatisfied, but they placed an additional order.

  • I thought the regular meeting would end early, but it ran two hours.

  • We expected a loss this term, but just barely stayed in the black.