たまたま

た

ま

た

ま

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

adverb

by chance; accidentally; happen to

usually written using kana alone

Describes an unintended or coincidental event. Often used when something occurs without planning or expectation.

駅えきでたまたま高こう校こうの友とも達だちに会あった。
I happened to run into a high school friend at the station.

たまたま通とおりかかったら、事じ故こを見みてしまった。

I happened to be passing by and saw the accident.

2

adverb

occasionally; once in a while

usually written using kana alone

Indicates an infrequent but recurring event. Similar to たまに, but たまたま can also carry a nuance of chance occurrence.

Written forms

たまたまUsage99%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
偶たま々たまUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; learners should use the kana spelling.
タマタマUsage<1%
偶たまたま
rarely-used kanji form
Rare single-character kanji form; not recommended for learners.
偶たま偶たま
rarely-used kanji form
適たまたま
rarely-used kanji form

Kanji

偶accidentally, even number, couple
適suitable, occasional, rare

Similar words

たまに
たまに is the standard word for 'occasionally' and implies regular but infrequent occurrence. たまたま can also mean 'occasionally', but its core meaning is 'by chance' or 'accidentally'.

Etymology

The word is a reduplication of たま (偶), meaning 'rare' or 'occasional'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the reduplicated form emphasizes chance or infrequency.