出人意料

• Pinyin: chū rén yì liào
• Hanzi breakdown: 出 = to exceed; 人 = people; 意 = thought; 料 = to anticipate

Meaning

Unexpected; surprising; beyond expectations; contrary to what one expected.

Describes outcomes or events that surprise people. Can be positive or negative surprises. Common in narratives, news, and commentary.

Examples

1. 比赛结果出人意料，冷门球队获得了冠军。 The match result was unexpected — the underdog team won the championship.
2. 他的辞职让所有人都出人意料。 His resignation was a surprise to everyone.
3. 她出人意料地通过了那场艰难的考试。 She unexpectedly passed that difficult exam.

Usage Guide

Context: news, narratives, commentary

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 出人意料的是，他居然同意了。(Surprisingly, he actually agreed.)
• 故事的结局出人意料，让观众大呼过瘾。(The story's ending was unexpected, leaving the audience thrilled.)

Don't Say

• 太出人意料了！ (Grammatically fine but sounds redundant — 出人意料 already expresses extremity)

Origin & History

Idiom: 出 (to exceed) + 人 (people's) + 意料 (expectations). Going beyond what people anticipated.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal