Meaning
This chengyu literally means 'not expecting yet meeting.' It describes an encounter that happens without prior arrangement or expectation, typically between people who know each other. The phrase emphasizes the element of surprise and coincidence in the meeting.
Usage
Commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese to describe chance encounters, often with a positive or pleasant connotation. Frequently appears in literature and everyday conversation when recounting unexpected meetings. Can be used as a verb phrase or as a noun describing the type of encounter.
Examples
- 01我今天在超市和多年不见的老同学不期而遇。.I ran into an old classmate I hadn't seen in years at the supermarket today.
- 02人生中最美好的事情往往是不期而遇的。.The most wonderful things in life often come as unexpected encounters.
Characters
Common collocations
- 不期而遇的惊喜surprise of an unexpected encounter
- 与...不期而遇...to meet ... unexpectedly
Antonyms
Origin
Classical Chinese construction combining 不期 (not expecting) with 而遇 (yet meeting). The 而 serves as a classical conjunction linking the contrasting ideas of not expecting and actually meeting.