Japanese symbol for “unexpected”
意外
いがい
Romaji: igai
unexpected; surprising; unanticipated; strange
In Japanese, unexpected is 意外, read いがい (igai).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-na, adv-to, n unexpected; surprising; unanticipated; strange; unforeseen
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “unexpected”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 急 | きゅう kyuu | sudden; abrupt; unexpected |
| 突然 | とつぜん totsuzen | abrupt; sudden; unexpected |
| 変 | へん hen | unexpected |
| 思いがけない | おもいがけない omoigakenai | unexpected; contrary to expectations; by chance |
| 不意 | ふい fui | sudden; abrupt; unexpected |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 意味 | いみ imi | meaning; significance; sense |
| 注意 | ちゅうい chuui | attention; notice; heed |
| 意識 | いしき ishiki | consciousness |
| 意見 | いけん iken | opinion; view; comment |
| 用意 | ようい youi | preparation; arrangements; provision |
| 得意 | とくい tokui | satisfaction; pride; triumph |
| 海外 | かいがい kaigai | foreign; abroad; overseas |
| 外国 | がいこく gaikoku | foreign country |
See also: Chinese symbol for “unexpected”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.