Japatan
Formation
- 普通形 + と思いきや
- V普通形 + かと思いきや
- いA + かと思いきや
- なA + かと思いきや
- N + かと思いきや
Explanation
A と思いきや B means 'I thought A, but actually, to my surprise, B.' B is the opposite of what was expected, so it usually states an actual result, often in the past tense. The form かと思いきや is also common. It is somewhat literary and used in writing or to convey mild surprise.
Examples
試験は難しいと思いきや、意外に簡単だった。
I thought the exam would be hard, but surprisingly it was easy.
雨がやんだと思いきや、すぐにまた降り出した。
Just when I thought the rain had stopped, it started again.
高い料理ばかりかと思いきや、安いメニューもたくさんあった。
I expected only expensive dishes, but there were plenty of cheap ones too.
部長はもう帰ったと思いきや、まだ会議室で仕事をしていた。
I thought the manager had already gone home, but he was still working in the meeting room.
Notes
It cannot be used when the result matches the expectation, and it is not followed by the speaker's intention or a request.
Mini quiz
1満員だろう（ ）、電車は意外にすいていた。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 2 と思いきや
"I thought the train would be packed, but surprisingly it wasn't crowded." とばかりに (as if to say), というより (rather than) and につけ (whenever) do not fit.
2簡単な仕事だと思いきや、（ ）。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 4 思ったより時間がかかった
"I thought it was an easy job, but it took longer than I expected." After と思いきや comes an unexpected result. 1, 2 and 3 match the expectation, so they are wrong.
3週末だから店は混んでいる（ ）、客は少なかった。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 3 かと思いきや
"I thought the shop would be crowded because it was the weekend, but there were few customers." だけあって, からには and ばかりに cannot express an unexpected result.
