正巧 (zhèng qiǎo) — by a happy chance; at just the right time (fortuitous timing)

Definition

Used for a fortunate coincidence — something happens at exactly the right moment. Reads as slightly more literary than 正好 in this 'by chance' sense, and stronger than 刚好 in feeling the timing was lucky.

adverb
by a happy chanceat just the right time (fortuitous timing)

Examples

  • ，正巧。
    Wǒ qù chē zhàn de shí hou, zhèng qiǎo pèng dào le yí gè lǎo péng you.
    When I went to the station, I happened to run into an old friend at just the right moment.
  • ，正巧，。
    Míng tiān wǒ yǒu shì, nǐ zhèng qiǎo yào lái, nà zhēn tài hǎo le.
    I have something to do tomorrow, and you happen to be coming at just the right time — that's great.
  • ，正巧。
    Tā zhèng yào dǎ diàn huà, zhèng qiǎo diàn huà líng jiù xiǎng le.
    He was just about to call when, as luck would have it, the phone rang.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

正zhèngjust
巧qiǎofortunate

正, just, and 巧, fortunate, combine to mean at just the right moment.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
工工gōng
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo巧qiǎo
Same sound today

巧 is made of 工 and 丂; 工 points to its meaning, and 丂 points to its sound.

Open 巧 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.