JLPT N1Mostly writtenLight, wry

と思おもいきやjust when you'd think

You set up what anyone would have expected, then overturn it with what really happened: "you'd think so, but no". Mostly written, and often light or wry: the voice of a review, a blog or a sports report.

勝かったと思おもいきや、最さい後ごの一いっ分ぷんで逆ぎゃく転てんされた。

Just when we thought we had won, they turned the game around in the last minute.

with か

古ふるい制せい度どかと思おもいきや、導どう入にゅうされたのは昨さく年ねんだった。

You would take it for an old system, but it was only brought in last year.

How to form it

Plain form + （か）と思おもいきや

A noun or な-adjective usually takes だ: コメディーだと思おもいきや. With か it goes straight on, and the guess is a little less sure: コメディーかと思おもいきや.

Before it: What you, or anyone, would have expected.
After it: What really happened, or what you found. Not a request, a plan or a guess.
Tone: A storyteller's twist, often amused. Usually too light for a formal report.
In everyday talk: と思おもったら.

In use

新しん作さくは重おもい社しゃ会かい派は映えい画がだと思おもいきや、軽けい快かいなコメディーだった。

You'd expect the new film to be a heavy social drama, but it turned out to be a breezy comedy.

彼かれは反はん対たいすると思おもいきや、真まっ先さきに賛さん成せいした。

I expected him to object, but he was the first to voice his support.

雨あめで客きゃくは少すくないと思おもいきや、会かい場じょうは立たち見みが出でるほど混こん雑ざつした。

With the rain you'd have expected a small crowd, but the hall was so packed that people had to stand.

Something has already turned out differently

English "you'd think … but" can lead into advice. と思おもいきや can't: it tells how things turned out.

Not said: 簡かん単たんだと思おもいきや、油ゆ断だんしないでください。

(You'd think it was easy, but don't let your guard down.)

簡かん単たんそうに見みえても、油ゆ断だんしないでください.

Close neighbours

かと思うと・かと思ったらN2

Two things in quick succession, and the first really happened. Nobody was mistaken.

赤あかちゃんは眠ねむったかと思おもうと、すぐに目めを覚さました。

No sooner had the baby fallen asleep than it woke up again.

かと思ったN3

The everyday way to say you took something for one thing and it was another. Often かと思おもったら again, this time with a real mistake.

雨あめかと思おもったら、雪ゆきだった。

I thought it was rain, but it was snow.

ところがN3

Opens a new sentence with the same turn, "but then…", in a plain voice.

外そとは大おお雪ゆきだった。ところが、店てん内ないは客きゃくでいっぱいだった。

There was heavy snow outside. But as it turned out, the shop was packed with customers.

Check yourself

1What happened?

彼かの女じょは怒おこると思おもいきや、笑わらい出だした。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which ending fits?

今日きょうは道みちがすいていると思おもいきや、（　　）。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

きや is a fossil of classical Japanese, used nowhere else today. It is what gives the phrase its storytelling ring.

More sentences

新しん人じんだから脇わき役やくだと思おもいきや、物もの語がたりの鍵かぎを握にぎる人じん物ぶつだった。

A newcomer, so you'd expect a minor part, but the character turned out to hold the key to the story.

売うり上あげは落おちたかと思おもいきや、前ぜん年ねんを大おおきく上うわ回まわっていた。

You'd have thought sales had fallen, but they were in fact well above the previous year's.

簡かん単たんに終おわると思おもいきや、調ちょう査さには半はん年としもかかった。

We expected it to be over quickly, but the investigation took a full six months.

静しずかな展てん示じだと思おもいきや、音おとと光ひかりを使つかった迫はく力りょくある演えん出しゅつが続つづく。

You might expect a quiet exhibition, but it is one powerful sound-and-light display after another.