〜かと思った

Meaning

This pattern describes a situation where the speaker's expectation or prediction turned out to be wrong, often accompanied by surprise or disappointment. It emphasizes that the expectation was reasonable and natural, making the unexpected result noteworthy. The speaker is expressing both the initial assumption and the realization that it was incorrect.

Formation

Examples

1. あの子どもが転んだ。泣くかと思った。
   The child fell down. I thought he/she would cry.

2. 先生は優しい人かと思っていたが、最近はよく怒られる。
   I thought the teacher was a kind person, but unexpectedly, he/she gets angry with us frequently lately.

3. 駅の周りは昔のように静かかと思ったけれど、久しぶりに来ると、いまはとても賑やかになっていた。
   I thought the area around the station would be as quiet as it used to be, but when I visited after a long time, it had become very lively.

4. この前、胸がとても苦しくなった。病気かと思って病院に行ったらストレスだった。
   My chest felt very tight the other day. I thought I was sick and went to the hospital, but it turned out to be stress.

Summary

• Used to express an expectation that proved to be wrong or unfounded
• Conveys surprise and disappointment about how reality differed from the assumption
• The expectation must be reasonable and natural for the context to work effectively