Japanese word

とんだ

Pronunciation

Romajitonda

Meaning

  • pre-noun adjectivalunexpected

Example

昨日はとんだ事故にあいました。kinō wa to n da ji ko ni a i ma shi ta

I had an unexpected accident yesterday.

Illustration for とんだ (unexpected)

More examples

道に迷って、とんだ遠回りをしました。michi ni mayo tte to n da tō mawa ri o shi ma shi ta

After getting lost, I took an unexpected detour.

Core concept

Presents an event or situation as so far from expectation that it seems strange, unreasonable, or unwelcome.

Common phrases

  • とんだ目に遭うto n da me ni a u

    suffer an unexpected misfortune

  • とんだ災難to n da sai nan

    an unexpected misfortune

  • とんだ誤解to n da go kai

    an unexpected misunderstanding

Similar words

思わぬomowanu: Describes an unexpected event, result, or circumstance.
あらぬaranu: Describes something unintended or unrelated to what is being considered.
ひょんなhyonna: Describes an odd event or circumstance that arises unexpectedly.

Definition in Japanese

予想外のことで、普通ではないと感じられるさま。yo sō gai no ko to de fu tsū de wa na i to kan ji ra re ru sa ma

Word origin

The form とんだ (tonda) comes from the attributive past form of 飛ぶ (tobu, "to fly"), whose literal sense extends figuratively to something far outside the expected course.

Usage tips

  • In phrases such as とんだ事故 (tonda jiko), とんだ (tonda) usually describes an unexpected event with an unwanted or troublesome result rather than a pleasant surprise.

Other meanings

  • strangepre-noun adjectival
  • absurdpre-noun adjectival

Word lists with this word