Plain form + かと思いきや

[Just when one would think; contrary to what one might expect]

Connection: Plain form + かと思いきや

Usage: Very similar to と思いきや but with the question particle か, adding a nuance of "one might wonder if..." Slightly more literary. Expresses that a reasonable assumption turned out to be wrong.

Comparison:

• と思いきや = "I thought X, but actually Y"
• かと思いきや = "one might think X, but actually Y" (slightly more objective/literary)

Examples:

彼が賛成するかと思いきや、意外にも反対した。(One would have thought he would agree, but surprisingly he opposed.)

簡単に終わるかと思いきや、予想以上に時間がかかった。(I thought it would end quickly, but it took longer than expected.)

冬が終わったかと思いきや、また雪が降り始めた。(Just when we thought winter was over, it started snowing again.)