ceot1 kei4 bat1 ji3出其不意

Jyutpingceot1 kei4 bat1 ji3

Yalechēut kèih bāt yi

動詞

Definition

To catch someone off guard by taking action when they are unprepared or unexpected.

neutraldaily actionspeople

How it's used

This idiom describes an action performed when the target is completely unprepared, often implying a strategic or tactical advantage. While it appears in formal writing, it is frequently used in spoken Cantonese to describe sudden, unexpected behavior or pranks. It carries a sense of deliberate planning to catch someone off guard rather than just a random coincidence.

Examples

keoi5佢ceot1出kei4其bat1不ji3意gam3咁haak3嚇zo2咗ngo5我jat1一tiu3跳。

He caught me off guard and gave me a fright.

nei5你sai2使m4唔sai2使ceot1出kei4其bat1不ji3意heoi3去taam3探keoi5佢aa4呀？

Do you really need to surprise him with a visit?

Common phrases

ceot1出kei4其bat1不ji3意gam3咁

in an unexpected manner

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a simple adjective meaning surprised, but it functions as a verb phrase describing the act of catching someone off guard. It is not used to describe the state of being surprised, which would be 驚訝 or 嚇親.