意外 (yì wài) — unexpected in Mandarin
🔊 Tap to hear it
#1499 most common word · HSK 5 · CEFR C1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
意外 is pronounced yì wài. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
zhège yìwài de fǎngkè ràng dàjiā dōu hěn jīngyà。
This unexpected visitor surprised everyone.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 意外 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 意外 mean?+
意外 (yì wài) means "unexpected" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 意外?+
意外 is pronounced yì wài. It uses the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 意外 in Mandarin?+
意外 is the #1499 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 意外 fits
Every HSK 5 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
On iPhone, Android and the web
ToneDeck is on the App Store. The trainer works right now.
Download ToneDeck for iPhone or Android today. One account unlocks Pro on both the app and the web. Prefer the browser? The full tone trainer runs at tonedeck.app right now, no install, free to start.
Sign up free and start trainingBrowse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.