偶然 (ぐうぜん, guuzen) Japanese meaning: coincidence

偶然 (ぐうぜん, guuzen) Japanese meaning: coincidence | Kotomora

Kanji

偶accidentally, even number, couple
然sort of thing, so, if so

Related words· 8

たまたま sense 2
たまたま is a casual, purely adverbial word for 'happening to' do something, while 偶然 is more formal and can also be used as a noun/adjective.
まぐれN1sense 1
まぐれ specifically means a lucky fluke or accidental success, whereas 偶然 is the neutral, general word for coincidence.
偶ぐう発はつ sense 1
偶発 is a more formal, often written word for something occurring accidentally or sporadically, while 偶然 is the everyday term for chance events.
奇き遇ぐう
偶然 is the general word for chance or coincidence in any situation, while 奇遇 is used specifically for an unexpected meeting with a person.

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ばったりN3
偶然 is the general, formal word for 'by chance', while ばったり specifically describes suddenly running into someone or something.
ふとN3
偶然 stresses chance or coincidence between events, while ふと focuses on the unintentional, spontaneous nature of a single action or thought.
フロック
偶然 is a broader, neutral term for coincidence or chance, whereas フロック specifically implies an unlikely lucky success, often in games or sports.
たまたまN3
偶然 is a more formal noun/adverbial word for coincidence, while たまたま is the everyday adverb used in casual speech.

Opposites· 5

必ひつ然ぜんN1sense 1
inevitable; necessary; bound to happen · inevitability; necessity
因いん縁ねん
偶然 means mere coincidence, the opposite of 因縁, which implies a fated or meaningful connection behind events.
宿しゅく命めいN1
偶然 means pure chance or coincidence, the opposite of 宿命's sense that an outcome was fixed and unavoidable from the start.

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Don't confuse with

俄が然ぜんN1
俄然 and 偶然 both end in 然 and are easily confused in writing, but 俄然 means 'suddenly/all at once' while 偶然 means 'by chance/coincidentally'.

Word family

偶ぐう然ぜん性せい
contingency; fortuity; randomness
偶ぐう然ぜん論ろん
casualism; accidentalism
偶ぐう然ぜんにも
by chance; coincidentally; as it happens

Written forms

偶ぐう然ぜんUsage99%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency word.
ぐうぜんUsage1%

Etymology

Compound of 偶 (ぐう, 'accidental') and 然 (ぜん, a suffix indicating state or condition). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination has been used to express 'by chance' since at least the Edo period.

偶ぐう然ぜん

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions