Korean word

우연

Pronunciation

Romanizationuyeon

Meaning

  • nouncoincidence

Example

그 만남은 우연이 아니었어요.keu man na meun u yeo ni a ni eo sseo yo

That meeting was not a coincidence.

Illustration for 우연 (coincidence)

More examples

그 우정은 우연의 만남으로 시작했어요.keu u jeong eun u yeo nui man na meu ro si ja kae sseo yo

That friendship began with a chance encounter.

Core concept

An unexpected event or result appears without anyone planning or intending it.

Common phrases

  • 우연의 만남u yeo nui man nam

    chance encounter

  • 우연의 연속u yeo nui yeon sok

    series of coincidences

Similar words

뜻밖tteutppak: An unexpected event or situation falls outside what was anticipated.
우연성uyeonseong: The quality or degree of being accidental rather than planned.

Definition in Korean

의도나 계획 없이 일어난 예측 불가능한 사건이나 결과를 가리키는 명사.ui do na kye hoek eop ssi i reo nan ye cheuk pul ga neung han sa geo ni na kyeol gwa reul ka ri ki neun myeong sa

Word origin

The Sino-Korean word 우연 (uyeon, "coincidence") comes from the Chinese term for something that happens by chance.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use coincidence for a surprising match between events, but Korean also uses this noun for an unplanned event itself.

Other meanings

  • flukenoun

Opposites

  • 필연piryeoninevitabilitynoun
  • 고의kouiintentnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word