不意

bùyì
  1. unexpectedly
  2. unawareness
  3. unpreparedness

CEDICT

  1. (formal) to not anticipate
  2. (formal) unawareness; unpreparedness
  3. (formal) unexpectedly; to one's surprise
  4. to not anticipate
  5. unawareness; unpreparedness
  6. unexpectedly; to one's surprise

Wiktionary

出乎意料之外。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 不 bù
  1. no; not so
  2. (bound form) not; un-
2 意 yì
  1. idea
  2. meaning
  3. thought
  4. to think
  5. wish
  6. desire
  7. intention
  8. to expect
  9. to anticipate

Containing this entry

出其不意 chūqíbùyì to do sth when least expected (idiom); to catch sb off guard

Related entries

不料 bùliào
  1. unexpectedly
  2. to one's surprise
不期 bùqī
  1. unexpectedly
  2. to one's surprise
我不期待去上班

I don't look forward to going to work.

Source: Tatoeba

冷不防 lěngbufáng
  1. unexpectedly
  2. suddenly
  3. at unawares
  4. off guard
  5. against expectations
冷不防，老师让每个国家的学生用话筒给大家讲一下自己来哈尔滨的原因。

Without warning, the teachers ask students from each country to take the microphone and explain to everyone their reasons for coming to Harbin.

Source: Tatoeba

居然 jūrán
  1. unexpectedly
  2. to one's surprise
  3. go so far as to
我居然忘记了今天有课！

I completely forgot that there was class today!

Source: Tatoeba

抽冷子 chōulěngzi (coll.) unexpectedly
View more