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Expressing 'by chance' with 偶然 (ǒurán)
Manner & Method
Time Expressions
Structure
Subject + 偶然 + Verb
Explanation
偶然 (ǒurán) means "by chance," "accidentally," or "unexpectedly." It is used as an adverb to describe events that happen without planning or intention, as in 偶然发现 (to discover by chance).
Examples
我偶然在街上碰到了老同学。
wǒ ǒurán zài jiē shàng pèngdào le lǎo tóngxué.
I happened to run into an old classmate on the street.
这个秘密是她偶然发现的。
zhège mìmì shì tā ǒurán fāxiàn de.
She discovered this secret by chance.
他偶然听到了那首歌，就爱上了。
tā ǒurán tīngdào le nà shǒu gē, jiù àishàng le.
He happened to hear that song and fell in love with it.