Grammar Info
N1 Lesson 4: 15/17

だと思(おも)いきや
thought...but, when...thought that...but, despite having thought...

Structure
Verb + (か)+ と思いきや + Phrase[た]
[い]Adjective + (か)+ と思いきや + Phrase[た]
[な]Adjective + (か(1))+ と思いきや + Phrase[た]
Noun + (か(1))+ と思いきや + Phrase[た]

(1)
Details
Register Standard
使用域 一般
Information
  • [Noun/な-Adj + だか思いきや is generally not used. Either か or だ (or neither) is used
  • [Aと思いきやB is used to emphasize the speaker's surprise that contrary to expected result A, B is actually the case]
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娘(むすめ)部屋(へや)とても静(しず)かだからきっと寝(ね)ていると思(おも)いきや、意外(いがい)にも勉強(べんきょう)していた。
I thought that my daughter was sleeping because it was very quiet, but to my surprise she was studying.
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いよいよ晴(は)れるだろうと思(おも)いきや、たちまち雨(あめ)が降(ふ)り出(だ)してしまった。
I thought that the weather would finally clear up, but it suddenly started raining.
[だろう appears frequently before と思いきや]
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うたげさん小(ちい)さいから同級生(どうきゅうせい)と思(おも)いきや、驚(おどろ)くことに先生(せんせい)だった。
Because she was small (like me), I thought Utage-san was (my) classmate, but, to my surprise, she was (my) teacher.
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