〜かと思いきや
Formation
N1ConcessionLiteraryLiterature
Variations
と思いきや
Meaning
Used when something was expected or assumed to be one way, but turned out to be quite different. It conveys a sense of surprise or unexpectedness at the reality of the situation.
Examples
やっと終わったかと思いきや、また新しい仕事が来た。
Just when I thought it was finally over, more new work arrived.
Unlock the full lesson with Premium
You are seeing a preview of this N1 pattern. Premium unlocks 7 more example sentences and the usage note.
Related Grammar
N2