also: ちんかく
unexpected but welcome visitor; rare guest
Refers to a visitor whose arrival is surprising but pleasant; often used in a lighthearted or slightly formal tone.
An unexpected but welcome visitor came by last night.
A rare guest at this hour—how unusual!
Standard kanji spelling; the reading ちんきゃく is the most common.
Alternate reading; less common but still encountered.
Compound of 珍 (rare, unusual) and 客 (guest, visitor). The reading ちんきゃく is the standard on'yomi combination; ちんかく is a less common variant.