Meaning of 意外
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- unexpected
- accident
- mishap
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 意外
As an adjective it means surprised or unexpected, often in 感到意外 (gǎndào yìwài, to feel surprised). As a noun it means an accident or mishap, as in 出意外 (chū yìwài, to have an accident). Example: 他突然来了，我很意外。(Tā tūrán lái le, wǒ hěn yìwài.) He suddenly showed up, and I was very surprised.
意 (yì) means idea or expectation, and 外 (wài) means outside. Something 意外 is outside what you had in mind, so it is unexpected, or an accident.
Common mistake: Learners often use 意外 for a traffic crash where 事故 (shìgù) sounds more natural. 意外 is a broader word for any unexpected mishap, while 事故 is the usual word for a specific accident like a car crash.
意外 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
意 yì · thought · 13 strokes
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外 wài · outside · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 意外.
| 外国 | wàiguó | foreign country |
| 国外 | guó wài | abroad; external (affairs) |
| 外边 | wàibian | outside; outer surface |
| 外语 | wàiyǔ | foreign language |
| 意思 | yìsi | idea; opinion |
| 愿意 | yuànyì | to wish; to want |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎoyìsi | to feel embarrassed; to find it embarrassing |
| 有意思 | yǒu yìsi | interesting; meaningful |
| 意见 | yìjiàn | idea; opinion |
| 满意 | mǎnyì | satisfied; pleased |
| 故意 | gùyì | deliberately; on purpose |
| 以外 | yǐwài | apart from; other than |
Questions about 意外
What does 意外 mean?
意外 (yìwài) means "unexpected; accident" and is used as a adjective and noun.
How do you write 意外?
意外 is made of 2 characters: 意 (13 strokes), 外 (5 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 意外 an HSK word?
Yes. 意外 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 意外 and 惊讶?
惊讶 (jīngyà) describes the feeling of astonishment itself. 意外 focuses on the fact that something was not expected, and it can also be a noun meaning accident. 很意外 is milder and more everyday than 很惊讶.
How do you say 'by accident' or 'unexpectedly' with 意外?
Use 意外地 (yìwài de) before a verb, as in 我意外地发现了一家好餐厅 (Wǒ yìwài de fāxiàn le yì jiā hǎo cāntīng), I unexpectedly found a good restaurant. For 'not surprising' you can say 不意外 (bú yìwài).