巧合

• Pinyin: qiǎo hé
• Hanzi breakdown: 巧 = 工 + 丂 (skillful craftsmanship — cleverness, coincidence); 合 = 亼 + 口 (a lid fitting a vessel — to combine, to fit)

Meaning

Coincidence; a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.

Used both as a noun (一个巧合 — a coincidence) and as a predicate (真是太巧合了 — what a coincidence). Often appears in the set phrase 纯属巧合 (purely coincidental), which is used in disclaimers. A neutral to positive term in everyday speech, but can carry suspicion in analytical or investigative contexts.

Examples

1. 我们竟然在异国他乡的同一家餐厅相遇，真是太巧合了。 Running into each other at the same restaurant in a foreign country is such an incredible coincidence.
2. 两位科学家在互不知情的情况下几乎同时提出了相同的理论，这一巧合令学界震惊。 Without knowing about each other, two scientists proposed the same theory at almost the same time—a coincidence that shocked the academic world.
3. 影片末尾的情节转折并非巧合，而是编剧精心设计的伏笔。 The plot twist at the end of the film wasn’t a coincidence; it was foreshadowing carefully planted by the screenwriter.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, literature, academic

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 两位素不相识的作家竟然在同一天出版了题材几乎完全相同的小说，这一惊人的巧合迅速引发了媒体和读者的广泛关注与讨论。(Two authors who had never met happened to publish novels with nearly identical themes on the same day — this astonishing coincidence quickly attracted widespread media and reader attention and discussion.)
• 声明末尾特别注明，书中所有人物与现实中任何人物的相似之处纯属巧合，请读者勿对号入座。(A special note at the end of the statement clarified that any resemblance between characters in the book and any real-life individuals is purely coincidental and readers should not read themselves into the roles.)

Don't Say

• 这不是巧合，是运气 — 巧合 (coincidence) and 运气 (luck) overlap but are distinct: 巧合 refers to an unlikely convergence of events, while 运气 means fortune or luck in outcome; distinguish them by context rather than treating them as synonyms

Origin & History

巧 (skillful/coincidental) + 合 (to meet/fit together) — things fitting together by chance

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal