喜出望外

Pronunciation: xǐ chū wàng wài Literal meaning: Joy exceeding expectations

Origin & Usage

Joy (喜) that comes out (出) beyond (外) what was being looked for (望). 望 is both hoping and the act of looking into the distance, so the phrase places the surprise precisely: the good thing arrived from outside the range the person had been scanning. Su Shi uses it writing to a friend after eight years apart — letters had begun arriving unexpectedly often as he neared the Central Plains, and a meeting now looked possible at all. That is still its natural setting: news rather than achievement. What separates it from ordinary delight is the element of shock, and it is reserved for things that had already been given up on.

Examples

English: "She was overjoyed when she received the unexpected promotion."

Chinese: 收到意外的晋升通知，她喜出望外。