行いき合あわせる

also: ゆきあわせる

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

happen to meet; come across; encounter by chance

Describes an unplanned meeting with a person or unexpectedly finding something. Often used in the past tense to recount a chance encounter.

駅えきで偶ぐう然ぜん、高こう校こう時じ代だいの友ゆう人じんに行いき合あわせた。
I happened to meet a friend from high school at the station.

散さん

歩ぽ

中ちゅう

に

珍めずら

しい

鳥とり

に

行い

き

合あ

わせ

た

。

I came across a rare bird while taking a walk.

Written forms

行き合わせるUsage100%
- いきあわせる
  Standard kanji spelling using modern okurigana.
- ゆきあわせる
行き合せる
- いきあわせる
  Alternative spelling with older okurigana; less common but still seen.
- ゆきあわせる
ゆきあわせる
Reading variant ゆきあわせる; rarely used in modern Japanese.

Kanji

行going, journey, carry out
合fit, suit, join

Similar words

出で会あう
出会う is a more common and general word for encountering someone or something, often with a nuance of a fateful or significant meeting. 行き合わせる emphasizes the accidental, unplanned nature of the encounter.
偶ぐう然ぜん会あう
偶然会う is a straightforward phrase meaning 'to meet by chance'. 行き合わせる is a single verb with the same meaning but sounds slightly more literary or formal.

Etymology

Compound of 行き (continuative form of 行く 'to go') + 合わせる ('to make meet, to join'). Literally 'to go and meet', the meaning shifted to 'happen to meet while going somewhere'.