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意外

yìwài
adjective HSK 3 #1,137

Meanings

  1. 1 unexpected; surprising
  2. 2 accident; mishap

Characters

意
yì
meaning; expectation
外
wài
outside; beyond
Literally 'outside of expectation' - something unexpected.

Examples

HSK 2
这个结果让人很意外。
Zhège jiéguǒ ràng rén hěn yìwài.
This result was very unexpected.
HSK 3
路上发生了一起意外。
Lùshàng fāshēng le yī qǐ yìwài.
An accident happened on the road.
HSK 4
真没想到，太意外了！
Zhēn méixiǎngdào, tài yìwài le!
I really didn't expect it - what a surprise!

Tips

usage
意外 as an adjective means 'unexpected' (neutral to positive surprise). As a noun it means 'accident' (negative). Context is key: 意外的惊喜 (unexpected pleasant surprise) vs. 出了意外 (an accident occurred).

Stroke Order

意 yì
外 wài