verb / noun HSK 6
to meet by chance · chance encounter · unexpected meeting
Meaning
邂逅 describes an unplanned, serendipitous meeting between people, often with romantic or meaningful overtones. It carries a literary, poetic quality and suggests a fateful or memorable encounter rather than a mundane bumping-into-someone situation.
Usage
This is a formal, literary word rarely used in everyday casual conversation. Native speakers use it in written Chinese, poetry, romantic contexts, or when describing chance meetings that feel special or significant. In daily speech, people would more likely say 偶然遇见 or 碰到.
Examples
- 01我们在巴黎的街头邂逅，从此成为了好朋友。, .We met by chance on the streets of Paris and have been good friends ever since.
- 02那次美丽的邂逅改变了他的一生。.That beautiful chance encounter changed his entire life.
Characters
Measure words
- 次一次邂逅
Common collocations
- 不期而遇to meet unexpectedly
- 邂逅相逢to meet by chance
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to meeting. The word appears in classical Chinese literature and has maintained its romantic, literary associations through the centuries.