原以为…，谁知…
one had thought …, but who would have guessed …
Structure
（主语） 原以为 原来的预想 ， 谁知 意外的结果
What it means
One had expected something, but the outcome overturned it, usually unpleasantly: 'I had thought …, but who would have guessed …'.
How it is built
(Subject) + 原以为 + expectation + ， + 谁知 + surprising outcome: 我原以为考试很简单，谁知光最后一道题就做了一个小时 (I had thought the exam would be easy, but the last question alone took an hour).
When to use it
Narrates past events: your own misjudgement or a character's. Variants: 本以为; spoken 谁知道, 没想到; written 谁料, 不料. To correct a belief others still hold, 殊不知 (9-6) fits better.
Watch out
谁知 is not a real question, so end with a full stop. 原以为 means the belief was wrong: ✗ 我原以为他会来，他果然来了 ✓ 我就知道他会来.
Examples
老吴原以为找到了一个比存银行划算得多的理财渠道，谁知辛苦攒下的二十多万元，到头来竹篮打水一场空。
Lao Wu had thought he had found a place for his savings that paid far better than the bank, but who could have known? The 200,000-odd yuan he had worked so hard to put by came to nothing in the end.
我原以为这次考试很简单，谁知光最后一道题就做了一个小时。
I had thought the exam would be easy, but the last question alone took me an hour.
大家原以为雨下一会儿就停，谁知一下就是三天。
Everyone thought the rain would soon stop, but it went on for three days.
Learn this in Lesson 188 · HSK 7–9: P2P的兴衰 (The rise and fall of P2P lending)
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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