Describes an action or thought that occurs without premeditation, often translating to 'suddenly', 'without thinking', or 'by chance'. Common in narrative and everyday speech.
偶然 emphasizes chance or coincidence, whereas ふと focuses on the lack of intention or suddenness of the action itself.
Etymology
The origin is uncertain; it is a native Japanese adverb with no clear kanji etymology. The ateji spellings 不図 and 不斗 are phonetic and not related to the meaning.
