思おもいのほか

お

も

い

の

ほ

か

JLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

adverb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

unexpectedly; surprisingly; contrary to expectations

Used when a result or situation differs from what one thought or assumed. Often carries a nuance of mild surprise.

試し験けんは思おもいのほか難むずかしかった。
The exam was unexpectedly difficult.
思おもいのほか早はやく

着つ

い

た

。

We arrived surprisingly early.

Written forms

思おもいのほかUsage78%
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
思おもいの外ほかUsage22%
Alternate kanji spelling using 外; less common but still seen.
思おもいの他ほか
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; not recommended for learners.

Kanji

思think
外outside
他other, another, the others

Similar words

案あん外がい
案外 is more common in everyday speech and often implies a result that is not as bad as feared. 思いのほか is slightly more formal and emphasizes a gap between expectation and reality.
意い外がい
意外 is an adjective/noun meaning 'unexpected' or 'surprising', often used in 意外に/意外と. 思いのほか is an adverb/no-adjective that directly modifies a verb or adjective.

Etymology

Compound of 思い (thought, expectation) + の (possessive particle) + ほか (other, outside). Literally 'outside of one's thoughts', i.e., beyond what one expected.