Meaning and Usage
The adverb いきなり means "all of a sudden" or "unexpectedly." It is used to describe actions or events that happen abruptly without warning. It often conveys surprise or shock from the speaker's perspective.
Common Contexts
You will frequently hear いきなり in everyday conversation when something happens suddenly, such as sudden weather changes, unexpected actions by people, or surprising questions.
Collocations and Patterns
- いきなり + verb (e.g., いきなり泣き出す): to suddenly start doing something
- いきなり + sentence (e.g., いきなり話しかける): to suddenly start speaking to someone
- いきなりの + noun (e.g., いきなりの訪問): a sudden visit
Register and Nuance
いきなり is casual and common in spoken Japanese. It can be used in both positive and negative contexts but often implies a lack of preparation or surprise.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse いきなり with 急に (きゅうに), which also means "suddenly." While similar, いきなり often emphasizes the abruptness and unexpectedness more strongly and is more colloquial. 急に can be used in more formal contexts.
Use いきなり when you want to express that something happened abruptly and caught people off guard.