仰天

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 仰天(ぎょうてん) means being greatly astonished by something unexpected.
• Basic usage: It is used for reacting to an unexpectedly large bill or an animal suddenly jumping out.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The intensity compared with 驚く
  • 驚く(おどろく) generally means to be surprised. 仰天する emphasizes a reaction of very great surprise.