偶 然(ぐうぜん)

ぐうぜん

noun / adverb / na-adjective

by chance, coincidence, accident

1. chance, coincidence, accident

Something that happens without planning or intention.

それは偶然(ぐうぜん)の一致(いっち)だ。

That's a coincidence.

偶然(ぐうぜん)ではなく必然(ひつぜん)だ。

It's not coincidence but inevitability.

偶然(ぐうぜん)が重(かさ)なって事故(じこ)が起(お)きた。

A series of coincidences led to the accident.

2. by chance, accidentally, unexpectedly

In an unplanned manner.

偶然(ぐうぜん)駅(えき)で友達(ともだち)に会(あ)った。

I happened to meet a friend at the station.

偶然(ぐうぜん)にも同(おな)じ本(ほん)を読(よ)んでいた。

By coincidence, we were reading the same book.

旅先(たびさき)で偶然(ぐうぜん)昔(むかし)の同級生(どうきゅうせい)に出会(であ)い、驚(おどろ)いて思(おも)わず声(こえ)をかけてしまった。

By chance, I ran into an old classmate while traveling, and was so surprised that I couldn't help but call out to them.

偶然(ぐうぜん) can function as a noun (coincidence), adverb (by chance), or na-adjective (accidental). It describes events that happen without planning or intention.

AS ADVERB:

偶然(ぐうぜん)会(あ)った (met by chance)
偶然(ぐうぜん)見(み)つけた (found by accident)
偶然(ぐうぜん)にも〜 (by coincidence ~ — adds emphasis)

AS NOUN:

偶然(ぐうぜん)の一致(いっち) (coincidence)
偶然(ぐうぜん)が重(かさ)なる (coincidences pile up)
偶然(ぐうぜん)に頼(たよ)る (to rely on chance)

AS NA-ADJECTIVE:

偶然(ぐうぜん)な出会(であ)い (a chance encounter)

CONTRAST:

偶然(ぐうぜん): by chance, accidental
必然(ひつぜん): inevitable, necessary (direct antonym)
たまたま: by chance, it just happened that (more casual, adverb only)

Related Words

Antonym: 必然(ひつぜん) (inevitability)

general

Added 2026.1.11 16:04 · Revised 2026.5.22 4:17

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