いきなり

also: ゆきなり

い

き

な

り

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

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

abruptly; suddenly; without warning

usually written using kana alone

Describes an action or event that happens unexpectedly and without any prior indication. Often carries a nuance of surprise or lack of preparation.

いきなり雨あめが降ふり出だした。
It suddenly started raining.

彼かれはいきなり部屋へやに入はいってきた。

He came into the room without warning.

Written forms

いきなりUsage99%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
イキナリUsage1%
行いき成なりUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
行き成り
rarely-used kanji form
- いきなり
  Rarely used kanji form; learners should prefer the kana spelling.
- ゆきなり
  rarely-used kana form
ゆきなり
rarely-used kana form
Rarely used kana form; the reading ゆきなり is uncommon.

Kanji

行going, journey, carry out
成turn into, become, get

Similar words

突とつ然ぜん
突然 is more formal and can be used in written language; いきなり is more colloquial and emphasizes the lack of warning or preparation.
急きゅうに
急に simply means 'suddenly' and is neutral; いきなり often implies that the event was unexpected or inappropriate given the circumstances.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 行く (iku, 'to go') + なり (nari, an old copula or adverbial particle). The original meaning was 'as one goes' or 'directly,' which evolved into 'without stopping' and then 'abruptly.'