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Meaning: Unexpectedly, who would have thought, little did one expect
我以为他会同意,不料他直接拒绝了。
Wǒ yǐwéi tā huì tóngyì, bùliào tā zhíjiē jùjuéle.
I thought he would agree, but unexpectedly he refused outright.
出发时天气晴朗,谁知半路下起了大雨。
Chūfā shí tiānqì qínglǎng, shéizhī bànlù xiàqǐle dàyǔ.
The weather was clear when we set off; who would have thought it would start pouring rain halfway there!
他原以为万无一失,岂料计划被打乱。
Tā yuán yǐwéi wàn wú yīshī, qǐliào jìhuà bèi dǎluàn.
He originally thought everything was foolproof; little did he expect that the plan would be thrown into disarray.
•不料 / 谁知 / 岂料 / 孰料 always stand at the start of the second clause (after a comma) following a first clause that states an expectation or plan (often with 以为, 原以为, 本想, 正想); they never open a standalone first clause.
⚠️ Common Mistakes:
•Using 不料 without a preceding clause that sets up an expectation or normal baseline.
•Using the archaic/literary 岂料 or 孰料 in casual everyday conversation.
•Equating 不料 with ordinary 但是 — 不料 specifically stresses shock or surprise at an unforeseen outcome, not a mere logical contrast.
•Placing 不料 at the very beginning of the first clause instead of between the two clauses.
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正想出门,孰料天色突变。
Zhèng xiǎng chūmén, shúliào tiānsè tūbiàn.
Just as I was about to go out, who could have foreseen that the sky would suddenly change color!
