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出会う (であう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N3 Freq. Frequency Top 10,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
meet by chance ; come across ; encounter
General term for meeting someone or encountering something unexpectedly. Can be neutral, positive, or negative depending on context and kanji choice. 出遭う is explicitly negative.
旅たび
先さき
で
思おも
いがけ
ない
風ふう
景けい
に
出で
会あ
う
こと
が
ある
。
Sometimes you come across unexpected scenery while traveling.
2
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
meet ; converge ; join
Only when written 出会う / 出合う
Used for rivers, roads, or other geographical features meeting or converging. 出合う is the typical spelling.
3
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
emerge and engage ; sally forth to meet
Only when written 出会う / 出合う
Military or dramatic context: troops emerging to engage the enemy. Often used in the imperative form 出会え. 出合う is the typical spelling.
Written forms 出で 会あ う Usage 87%
Standard kanji spelling for chance meetings and encounters; also used for rivers/highways meeting and military engagement.
出で 合あ う Usage 5%
Preferred for the meeting of rivers, roads, or in military contexts; also acceptable for general meetings.
出で 逢あ う Usage 5%
Often used for romantic or fateful encounters, emphasizing the emotional aspect of meeting someone.
出で あう Usage 2%
Kana-mixed spelling, less common but seen in casual writing.
出で 遭あ う Usage 1%
Carries a negative nuance, used for unpleasant or unfortunate encounters (e.g., with trouble, disaster).
であう Usage 1%
Similar words 会あ う 会う is a general verb for meeting, often planned. 出会う emphasizes the chance or unexpected nature of the encounter.
遭そう 遇ぐう する 遭遇する is more formal and often used for encountering danger, difficulties, or rare phenomena. 出会う is broader and more common in everyday speech.
Etymology Compound of 出 (de, 'out') + 会う (au, 'meet'). The core meaning is 'to come out and meet', which developed into 'meet by chance'.
meeting, tryst, date
