殊不知
little do they know; what people fail to realise is that
Structure
（某人以为） 看法 ， 殊不知 实际情况
What it means
Little do they know: brings in the real state of things that a belief just mentioned has missed, and so corrects it.
How it is built
(Someone thinks) view + comma + 殊不知 + reality: 很多人以为果汁跟水果一样健康，殊不知果汁里的糖要多得多 (many think juice is as healthy as fruit, not realising it has far more sugar).
When to use it
Written and a little bookish: commentary and popular science; in speech say 其实 or 没想到. Usually corrects someone else’s belief, but can correct your own: 我原以为…，殊不知…. Read shū bù zhī.
Watch out
It needs a mistaken view before it; for a plain twist use 不料 or 谁知: ✗ 出门时还是晴天，殊不知下起了大雨 ✓ …不料下起了大雨.
Examples
福特当时的回答是“沃尔沃不卖”，殊不知一年多以后，它自己就要为沃尔沃找买家了。
Ford’s answer at the time was “Volvo is not for sale”; little did it know that a year or so later it would be looking for a buyer for Volvo itself.
很多人以为喝果汁跟吃水果一样健康，殊不知果汁里的糖要多得多。
Many people think drinking juice is as healthy as eating fruit, not realising that juice contains far more sugar.
有人觉得在网上骂几句没什么，殊不知这些话也可能深深伤害一个人。
Some think a few insults online are harmless, little knowing that such words can wound a person deeply.
Learn this in Lesson 185 · HSK 7–9: 吉利收购沃尔沃 (Geely buys Volvo)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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