想不到

xiǎngbudào

verb HSK 6 #5,093

Meanings

1 unexpected; didn't expect
2 couldn't have imagined

Characters

to think; to expect

to reach; to arrive at

Cannot think of / reach — something you didn't expect.

Examples

真想不到你会来！

Zhēn xiǎngbudào nǐ huì lái!

I really didn't expect you would come!

想不到这么多年后又见面了。

Xiǎngbudào zhème duōnián hòu yòu jiànmiàn le.

Who would have thought we'd meet again after so many years.

想不到他居然会做这种事。

Xiǎngbudào tā jūrán huì zuò zhèzhǒng shì.

I never imagined he would do such a thing.

Tips

grammar

想不到 uses the potential complement structure: verb + 不 + result. 想得到 (xiǎng de dào) is the positive form: 'can imagine.' This structure works with many verbs: 看不到 (can't see), 听不到 (can't hear).

Stroke Order

想 xiǎng

不 bù

到 dào