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  1. Dictionary
  3. HSK 5
  5. 意外
HSK 5adjective

意外

yì wài

意外 (yì wài) means “unexpected; accident; mishap”. It is an HSK 5 Chinese word in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.

Measure word: 个

How to write 意外

Practice each character:

外

Example

这次获奖对他来说完全是个意外，因为他根本没想到会被选中。

Zhè cì huòjiǎng duì tā lái shuō wánquán shì ge yìwài, yīnwèi tā gēnběn méi xiǎngdào huì bèi xuǎnzhòng.

Winning this award was completely unexpected for him, because he never thought he would be selected.

More HSK 5 vocabulary

HSK 5 →
哎āihey!; (interjection used to attract attention or to express surprise or disapprobation)唉āiinterjection or grunt of agreement or recognition (e.g. yes, it's me!); to sigh爱护ài hùto cherish; to treasure; to take care of; to love and protect爱惜ài xīto cherish; to treasure; to use sparingly爱心ài xīncompassion; kindness; care for others; love; charity (bazaar, golf day etc); heart (the symbol ♥)安慰ān wèito comfort; to console安装ān zhuāngto install; to erect; to fix; to mount; installation岸ànvariant of 岸暗ànvariant of 暗熬夜áo yèto stay up late or all night把握bǎ wòto grasp (also fig.); to seize; to hold; assurance; certainty; sure (of the outcome)摆bǎito arrange; to exhibit; to move to and fro; a pendulum

Frequently asked questions

What does 意外 mean?
意外 (yì wài) means “unexpected; accident; mishap”. It is an HSK 5 word.
How is 意外 pronounced?
意外 is pronounced “yì wài” in pinyin.
What HSK level is 意外?
意外 belongs to HSK 5 in the HSK 3.0 vocabulary.

Updated: 2026-05-27