Definition
不期而遇 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'to meet by chance' or 'to run into someone without prior arrangement'. The 期 ('appointed time') and 而 ('and then') parts add a literary feel — it's more vivid than a plain 偶然遇见. You can use it in both casual conversation and formal writing, but it has a slightly elegant, classical ring to it.
f.e.
meet by chancerun into unexpectedly
Examples
- ，不期而遇。Wǒmen duō nián bú jiàn, méi xiǎng dào jīntiān zài jiē shàng bù qī ér yù le.We hadn't seen each other for years — never thought we'd run into each other on the street today.
- ，不期而遇，。Nà cì lǚxíng zhōng, wǒ hé yí wèi lǎo péngyou bù qī ér yù, zhēn shì jīngxǐ.On that trip, I ran into an old friend by chance — it was such a pleasant surprise.
- 不期而遇，。Zhè liǎng běn shū de guāndiǎn bù qī ér yù, dōu qiángdiào huánbǎo de zhòngyàoxìng.The viewpoints of these two books coincide unexpectedly, both emphasizing the importance of environmental protection.
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