Meaning & use
who da thunk it
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorous
Used to say you find something surprising, especially when it turns out better or stranger than expected.
Grammar: Stands alone as a comment; it is not followed by a clause, so say it after the surprising news.
Patterns
- Who da thunk it?
- Well, who da thunk it
My quiet cousin just won a national singing contest — who da thunk it?
The little shop on our street is now famous all over the country. Who da thunk it?
phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorous
Used jokingly to admit that you were wrong about how something would end.
Grammar: Often comes after you describe your own earlier prediction, to show you were mistaken.
Patterns
- and who da thunk it
- who da thunk it, right?
I said the team had no chance, and now they are champions. Who da thunk it?
She swore she would never move abroad, and who da thunk it — she lives in Tokyo now.
Common combinations
- well, who da thunk it
- Well, who da thunk it — the bus was actually on time today.
- who da thunk it, right?
- The sequel is better than the original. Who da thunk it, right?
- and who da thunk it
- He passed the hardest exam of the year, and who da thunk it?
- who da thunk it would work
- We fixed the old printer with tape and it still runs. Who da thunk it would work?
Synonyms and how they differ
- who would have thought it
- The full, standard version; it fits polite conversation and writing, while "who da thunk it" sounds deliberately casual and funny.
- imagine that
- Also expresses mild surprise, but it is shorter and can sound sarcastic rather than amused.
- fancy that
- A British way to show surprise; it is more old-fashioned and less jokey than this phrase.
Word family
- thunk verb
- A humorous invented past tense of "think," used only in this phrase and jokes.
Commonly confused: who da thunk it or who would have thunk it?
who da thunk it vs who would have thunk it
Some people write "thunk" after "have"; the usual set phrase is "who da thunk it," with "da" for "would have."
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase stands alone as a surprised comment, so option 2 fits. Option 1 wrongly adds a "that" clause, and options 3 and 4 treat it as a normal verb phrase, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “who da thunk it”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.