思おもいのほか

お

も

い

の

ほ

か

JLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

adverb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

unexpectedly; surprisingly; contrary to expectations

Used when a result or situation differs from what one thought or assumed. Often carries a nuance of mild surprise.

試し験けんは思

おも

いのほか

難むずか

しかっ

た

。

The exam was unexpectedly difficult.

思おもいのほか早はやく着ついた。

We arrived surprisingly early.

Usage patterns

思おもいのほか〈形けい容よう詞し〉unexpectedly [adjective] — used to show a quality turned out beyond what was expected
このレストランは思おもいのほか安やすかった。
This restaurant was cheaper than I expected.
思おもいのほか〈動どう詞し〉to [verb] unexpectedly — used before a verb to show the outcome differed from expectations
作さ業ぎょうは思おもいのほか早はやく終おわった。
The work finished sooner than I had expected.

Kanji

思think
外outside
他other, another, the others

Related words

案あん外がいN3
案外 is a common, everyday word often implying a result that is better or less bad than feared, while 思いのほか is slightly more formal and focuses purely on the gap between expectation and reality.
意い外がいN3
意外 is a na-adjective/noun meaning 'unexpected' and is often used as 意外に/意外と before a verb or adjective, whereas 思いのほか is itself an adverb that directly modifies the following word without a particle.

Don't confuse with

ことのほかN1
思いのほか and ことのほか look and sound alike, but 思いのほか specifically means 'more/less than one expected' while ことのほか can also mean simply 'extremely' without any comparison to expectations.

Written forms

思おもいのほかUsage78%
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
思おもいの外ほかUsage22%
Alternate kanji spelling using 外; less common but still seen.
思おもいの他ほか
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; not recommended for learners.

Etymology

Compound of 思い (thought, expectation) + の (possessive particle) + ほか (other, outside). Literally 'outside of one's thoughts', i.e., beyond what one expected.