Meaning
「I thought 〜, but in reality, ...」 Used to convey that something was expected or assumed to be one way, but in reality, it turned out to be quite different. It implies a contrast between what was anticipated and what actually happened.
You can omit the "か" in "〜かと思いきや" and use "〜と思いきや" instead.
Includes the speaker's sense of surprise.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 動詞 | 動詞 + かと思いきや |
| イ形容詞 | イ形容詞 + かと思いきや |
| ナ形容詞 | ナ形容詞 + かと思いきや |
| 名詞 | 名詞 + かと思いきや |
Examples
-
この映画はホラーかと思いきや、実はコメディ映画だった。
I thought this movie was a horror film, but it turned out to be a comedy. -
逆転ゴールが決まったかと思いきや、審判のホイッスルがなり、オフサイドと判定された。
I thought a comeback goal had been scored, but then the referee's whistle blew and it was judged as offside. -
やっと、たまっていた仕事が片付いたかと思いきや、部長に新たな仕事を頼まれた。
I thought I had finally finished all the piled-up work, but then the manager asked me for new tasks. -
ジェシカさんは２ヶ月前に会社を辞めたから帰国したのかと思いきや、日本人の男性と結婚して、生活していた。
I thought Jessica left the company two months ago and returned to her home country, but she actually married a Japanese man and was living here.「 -
トムさんとジェームスさんはいつも一緒にいるから仲がいいのかと思いきや、実はそうでもなかった。
I thought Tom and James were close because they are always together, but in reality, they were not that close. -
試験は難しいかと思いきや、思っていたよりも簡単だった。
I thought the exam would be difficult, but it was easier than I expected.
Summary
- 〜かと思いきや means "I thought 〜, but in reality, ... "
- Formation: 動詞 → 動詞 + かと思いきや; イ形容詞 → イ形容詞 + かと思いきや; ナ形容詞 → ナ形容詞 + かと思いきや; 名詞 → 名詞 + かと思いきや
- This is an N1-level grammar pattern