意外
HSK 3 (2021)Old HSK 5
意外 (yìwài) · unexpected
意外 (yìwài) means “unexpected; accident”. It is written with 2 characters: 意 (thought) + 外 (outside). It is an HSK 3 word in the 2021 standard.
How 意外 is built
The characters
意 yì · thought
What 意 is made of
- 音yīn — sound
- 立lì — to stand
- 亠tóu — lid
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 立lì — to stand
- 心xīn — heart
Origin hint: 心 gives the meaning, 音 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
外 wài · outside
What 外 is made of
- 夕xī — evening
- 勹bāo — wrap shape
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 丶 — dot
- 勹bāo — wrap shape
- 卜bo — divination
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 丶 — dot
Origin hint: Night-time 夕 divinations 卜; the supernatural, the foreign (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
这个消息让我很意外。Zhège xiāoxi ràng wǒ hěn yìwài.This news really surprised me.
开车要小心，别出意外。Kāichē yào xiǎoxīn, bié chū yìwài.Drive carefully and don't have an accident.
Questions about 意外
What does 意外 mean?
意外 (yìwài) means “unexpected; accident”.
How do you pronounce 意外?
意外 is pronounced yìwài.
Which HSK level is 意外?
意外 is in HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 5.
Related words
- 不好意思bùhǎoyìsisorry
- 故意gùyìon purpose
- 满意mǎnyìsatisfied
- 意见yìjiànopinion
- 意思yìsimeaning
- 有意思yǒu yìsiinteresting
- 愿意yuànyìto be willing
- 生意shēngyibusiness
- 同意tóngyìto agree
- 意义yìyìmeaning
Learn 意外 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 56: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.