赶巧 (gǎn qiǎo) — by chance, coincidentally, as luck would have it

Definition

An adverb meaning 'as luck would have it / coincidentally' — a fortunate or fitting chance (often a small, serendipitous overlap), not a neutral accident like 偶然.

adverb
by chancecoincidentallyas luck would have it

Examples

  • ，赶巧。
    Nà tiān wǒ qù zhǎo tā, gǎn qiǎo tā bú zài jiā.
    I went to see him that day, but as it happened he wasn't home.
  • ，赶巧。
    Wǒ zhèng xū yào qián, gǎn qiǎo nǐ lái le.
    I was just in need of money, and as luck would have it you came.
  • 赶巧，。
    gǎn qiǎo Wǒ yě zài chǎng, jiù yì qǐ qù le.
    As it happened, I was there too, so we went together.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

赶gǎncatch
巧qiǎocoincidence

赶 expresses catching or happening, and 巧 expresses coincidence.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 趕; 赶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旱
旱hàn趕gǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 趕 combines 走, for the meaning, and 旱, for the sound; this is about 趕, not 赶.

Open 赶 →

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 →

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