(yì wài) - accident, unexpected, surprising in Mandarin

yìwài

Traditional: 意外

#1066 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

accident, unexpected, surprising

Word origin

A compound of 意 (yì, intention or expectation) and 外 (wài, outside), literally outside one's expectations, hence unexpected, a surprise or an accident.

Origin: compound
Root: 意 (yì, expectation) + 外 (wài, outside)

Stroke order

意

外

Examples

。

This really is a surprise.

。

An accident happened on the road.

。

What he said surprised me a lot.

避bì。

Accidents are always hard to avoid.

。

The result was not really a surprise.

意外 (yì wài) means accident, unexpected, surprising. It works as a noun for a mishap and an adjective for something unforeseen.

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Mandarin · Free printables

意外: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "意外" (accident, unexpected, surprising): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

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This word is part of lesson 22.