HSK · Level 51
105 words
Chinese word
碰巧
Pronunciation
Pinyinpèng qiǎo
Meaning
- adverbhappen to
Example
我碰巧遇见了他。wǒ pèng qiǎo yù jiàn le tā
I happened to meet him.
More examples
他碰巧在我家附近工作。tā pèng qiǎo zài wǒ jiā fù jìn gōng zuò
He happens to work near my house.
Core concept
Something unexpectedly lines up with the moment, so it occurs by chance.
Common phrases
碰巧有空pèng qiǎo yǒu kòng
happen to be free
碰巧遇到pèng qiǎo yù dào
happen to meet
碰巧在附近pèng qiǎo zài fù jìn
happen to be nearby
Similar words
偶然ǒu rán: Indicates that an event occurs by chance, with no prediction or plan.
恰巧qià qiǎo: Indicates that circumstances or timing coincide by chance.
正好zhèng hǎo: Indicates that timing or circumstances are exactly suitable for an action.
Definition in Chinese
用于说明事情的发生是偶然的、非计划性的，常与遇见、发现等动词连用，表示事态恰巧如此。yòng yú shuō míng shì qíng de fā shēng shì ǒu rán de fēi jì huà xìng de cháng yǔ yù jiàn fā xiàn děng dòng cí lián yòng biǎo shì shì tài qià qiǎo rú cǐ
Word origin
碰 (pèng, "come into contact") + 巧 (qiǎo, "apt") presents a chance meeting that happens to fit the situation.
Usage tips
- In everyday Chinese, this adverb usually comes before the action verb, while English often places "happen to" after the subject and before the verb.