偶

🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷

by chance

HSK 5 N2

Abstract →Miscellaneous

ǒu

グウ

たま

우

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 禺 represents the sound.

Components

亻 person (side)+ 禺 district =

偶 by chance

亻 Meaning component

rén person (side)

亻 is a component form of 人.

禺 Phonetic component

yú district

View phonetic series →

Notes

Historical Evolution

Seal

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Seal

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

偶

Regular

Modern

Chinese

偶 [ǒu]

accidental; image; pair; mate

Japanese

偶、適たま同音

adj-noadj-nanoun usually kana occasional; infrequent; rare

偶ぐう同音

noun

mathematics rare even number; even
rare spouse; mate

偶々 (rare) 、偶偶 (rare) 、偶 (rare) 、適 (rare) たまたま同音

adverb

usually kana by chance; by accident; accidentally; happen to (be, do); unexpectedly; casually
usually kana occasionally; once in a while; now and then

Example Sentences

🇯🇵 (2)

友理子はたまの逢瀬を心行くまで楽しんでしまいました。

Yuriko thoroughly enjoyed her occasional secret meetings with her lover.

通りを歩いていたとき、私はたまたま旧友に出会った。

Walking along the street, I happened to meet my old friend.

CHINESE WORDS (80)

无独有偶 [wúdúyǒu'ǒu] #67,523

not alone but in pairs (idiom, usually derog.); not a unique occurrence

无独有偶 [wúdúyǒu'ǒu] #67,523

not alone but in pairs (idiom, usually derog.); not a unique occurrence

70 more items

JAPANESE WORDS (77)

⭐ 偶然 [ぐうぜん] #1,134

coincidence

千載一遇 [せんざいいちぐう] #23,926

once-in-a-lifetime (opportunity)

⭐ 配偶者 [はいぐうしゃ] #33,116

偶然の一致 [ぐうぜんのいっち] #44,258

coincidence

67 more items

KOREAN WORDS (5)

accidentality; fortuity; adventitiousness