意料
yì liào · HSK 7
to expect
🤔 意 idea + 料 to reckon = to reckon out an idea ahead of time = anticipate
意 means thought or idea; 料 means to estimate or reckon. Reckoning an idea before it happens is how you anticipate or expect it. Often seen in 意料之外, meaning beyond what one expected.
料 — rice 米 + dipper 斗
料 combines 米 (rice/grain) with 斗 (a measuring dipper), depicting the act of measuring out grain. From this concrete sense it extended to 'to measure, estimate, anticipate' and to 'materials' (things measured out for use), as in 材料 'materials' and 预料 'to anticipate'.