不ふ意いに

ふ

い

に

Meanings

Describes an action or event that happens without warning, often catching someone off guard. Used in both physical and emotional contexts.

不ふ意いに雨あめが降ふり出だした。
Suddenly it started to rain.
彼かれは不ふ意いに立たち止どまった。
He stopped abruptly.

Usage patterns

不ふ意いに〈動どう詞し〉to (do something) suddenly/unexpectedly
不ふ意いに肩かたを叩たたかれて驚おどろいた。
I was startled when someone suddenly tapped my shoulder.
不ふ意いに〈事こと〉が起おこるfor something to happen unexpectedly
不ふ意いに停てい電でんが起おこった。
A power outage happened out of nowhere.
不ふ意いに涙なみだが出でるfor tears to well up unexpectedly
その歌うたを聞きいて不ふ意いに涙なみだが出でた。
Hearing that song, tears suddenly welled up in my eyes.

Kanji

不negative, non-, bad
意idea, mind, heart

Related words· 6

突とつ然ぜんN3
突然 is the common, neutral word for 'suddenly', while 不意に stresses that the event caught someone off guard with no warning.
急きゅうにN4
急に emphasizes the speed of a sudden change, while 不意に emphasizes the element of surprise and lack of preparation.
いきなりN3
いきなり is a casual, conversational word for something happening abruptly, while 不意に is more literary and stresses being caught unaware.
突とつ如じょN2
突如 stresses the abruptness of the event itself, while 不意に stresses that there was no warning or anticipation.

Show 2 more

思おもいがけずN2
不意に stresses that something happens without warning at that instant, while 思いがけず stresses that the outcome itself was unforeseen.
にわかにN2
不意に stresses that something happens without warning and catches someone off guard, while 俄かに focuses on the speed and abruptness of a change itself.

Opposites

徐じょ々じょにN3
徐々に describes something happening gradually, the opposite of 不意に's sudden, unforeseen occurrence.

Etymology

Derived from the noun 不意 (ふい, 'unexpectedness') with the adverbial particle に. The kanji 不 (not) and 意 (mind/thought) together convey something not in one's thoughts, hence 'unexpected'.