GRAMMAR
いきなり
suddenly
without warning
Explanation
NOTE
いきなり means suddenly or abruptly — describing an action that happens without warning or preparation.
いきなり雨が降り出した。
It suddenly started raining.
いきなり is an adverb written in pure hiragana, often placed at the start of the sentence.
NOTE
It carries a strong nuance of surprise or unexpectedness, often implying that no steps or warnings came before the action.
NOTE
Unlike 急に or 突然, いきなり emphasizes that something happened skipping the normal order — straight to the result, with no buildup.
STRUCTURE
いきなり+V
彼はいきなり立ち上がって叫んだ。
Kare wa ikinari tachiagatte sakenda.
He suddenly stood up and shouted.
いきなり知らない人に話しかけられた。
Ikinari shiranai hito ni hanashikakerareta.
I was suddenly spoken to by a stranger.
子供がいきなり道路に飛び出した。
Kodomo ga ikinari douro ni tobidashita.
A child suddenly ran out into the street.
Practice exercises
1
信号無視の車が、いきなり目の前を横切った。
A car that ran a red light suddenly/without warning crossed right in front of me.
Answer
いきなり
2
家を出ようとした矢先に、いきなり雨が降り出した。
Just as I was about to leave the house, it suddenly/without warning started raining.
Answer
いきなり
3
ベルが鳴った途端に、いきなり電気が消えた。
As soon as the bell rang, the lights suddenly/without warning went out.
Answer
いきなり
4
静かだった会議中に、いきなり怒鳴り声が響いた。
During the quiet meeting, a sudden/without warning shout echoed.
Answer
いきなり
5
彼が話し始めるか始めないかのうちに、いきなり席を立った。
Just as he was about to start speaking, he suddenly/without warning stood up.
Answer
いきなり