恰巧

• Pinyin: qià qiǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 恰 = 忄(heart) + 合 (fit) (just right/exactly); 巧 = 工 (work) + 丂 (obstruction overcome) (skilful/coincidental)

Meaning

By coincidence; as luck would have it; just happen to. Describes an unexpected but timely coincidence.

Used to express that something happened at just the right moment or by chance. Stronger coincidental flavour than 正好 or 刚好, with more emphasis on the unexpected nature. Common in both spoken and written registers, especially narratives.

Examples

1. 我赶到车站时，火车恰巧在那一刻缓缓驶入站台，一分钟都没有耽误，真是万幸。 When I got to the station, the train happened to be pulling in at that exact moment—I didn’t lose even a minute. What a relief.
2. 他恰巧路过那条街道，目睹了整起交通事故的经过，事后成为了关键证人。 He just happened to be passing down that street and witnessed the entire traffic accident, later becoming a key witness.
3. 两位多年未见的老同学恰巧在同一列国际航班上相邻而坐，令两人都感到十分惊喜。 Two old classmates who hadn’t seen each other in years happened to be seated next to each other on the same international flight, and both were pleasantly surprised.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, daily life, storytelling

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我去拜访他的那天，他恰巧刚从国外出差归来，我们得以进行了一次十分深入的长谈。(The day I went to visit him, he had just happened to return from a business trip abroad, and we were able to have a long and in-depth conversation.)
• 演讲嘉宾恰巧提到了我正在研究的议题，让我获得了许多宝贵的启发与思考角度。(The guest speaker happened to mention exactly the topic I was researching, giving me many valuable insights and new angles to consider.)

Don't Say

• 他恰巧非常努力 — 恰巧 describes coincidental timing or circumstance, not a quality or character trait; use 正好/碰巧 only for coincidences, not attributes

Origin & History

恰 (just/exactly) + 巧 (coincidental/skilful) — exactly coincidental; by happy chance

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal