Definition
出其不意 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to act when the other party least expects it' — literally 'to go beyond one's thoughts.' You can use it in military, competitive, or everyday situations to describe catching someone by surprise. The idiom is often followed by 攻其不备 (attack when unprepared) as part of the full expression 出其不意，攻其不备.
f.e.
catch someone off guardtake someone by surprise
Examples
- 出其不意，。Wǒ jūn chū qí bù yì, fādòng le yèjiān tūxí.Our army launched a night raid, catching them off guard.
- 出其不意，。Miànshìguān wèn le yí ge chū qí bù yì de wèntí, tā yìshí méi dá shànglái.The interviewer asked a question that caught him off guard, and he couldn't answer right away.
- ，出其不意，。Yào xiǎng zài shāngzhàn zhōng qǔshèng, jiù yào xuéhuì chū qí bù yì, xiān fā zhì rén.To win in business competition, you need to learn to catch competitors by surprise and strike first.
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