始料不及 (shǐ liào bù jí) — unexpected, unforeseen, beyond one's expectations
Definition
A formal chengyu meaning 'beyond what one expected' — used for outcomes that catch you off guard. Stronger than the everyday 没想到.
verb
unexpectedunforeseenbeyond one's expectations
Examples
- 始料不及。Zhè cì kǎo shì de nán dù zhēn shì shǐ liào bù jí.The difficulty of this exam was truly unexpected.
- 始料不及。Shì qing de fā zhǎn ràng rén shǐ liào bù jí.The development of events caught everyone off guard.
- 始料不及。Tā cí zhí de jué dìng lìng dà jiā shǐ liào bù jí.His decision to resign took everyone by surprise.
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