1.
rare event; unusual incident; oddity
An unusual or unexpected event that attracts attention because of its rarity. Often carries a humorous or lighthearted nuance, describing something strange but not necessarily serious.
試合で珍事が起きた。
Something unusual happened during the game.
国会で前代未聞の珍事があった。
An unprecedented oddity occurred in the Diet.
電車の中で猫が見つかるという珍事に、乗客たちは驚いた。
Passengers were surprised by the unusual incident of a cat being found on the train.
Composed of 珍 (rare, curious) and 事 (event, matter). Describes events that stand out for being strange, unexpected, or comically unusual. Often used in news headlines and sports reporting to describe bizarre or memorable moments.
USAGE:
Frequently appears in news, sports commentary, and social media to describe something that doesn't normally happen. It has a lighter tone than 事件 (incident) — 珍事 implies curiosity and amusement rather than alarm.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 珍事が起きる — an unusual event occurs
- 珍事が発生する — an oddity takes place
- 前代未聞の珍事 — an unprecedented oddity
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 珍しい出来事 — an unusual occurrence; more colloquial
- 椿事 — extraordinary incident; homophone written with different kanji, slightly more serious tone
- 事件 — incident, case; neutral or serious, no humorous connotation