इत्तफ़ाक़ से (ittfaaq se)
adverb
A fixed adverbial phrase meaning 'by chance, coincidentally.' Built from the noun इत्तफ़ाक़ (ittfaaq, 'coincidence,' from Arabic-Persian) plus the postposition से (se, 'by/from').
Sense
1
:
by coincidence, as it happened
adverb Functions as a sentence-initial or clause-initial adverbial, framing the rest of the sentence as an unplanned coincidence.
Synonyms: अचानक (achaanak, focuses on suddenness rather than coincidence), संयोग से (sanyog se)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This phrase carries a slightly storytelling flavor, the kind of thing you say when recounting how you happened to run into an old friend at the market: इत्तफ़ाक़ से (ittfaaq se), वो वहीं मिल गया (vo vahiin mil gayaa, 'he happened to be there too'). It sits comfortably in both casual chat and slightly more polished storytelling, so you will hear it from a rickshaw driver and a news anchor alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with अचानक (achaanak), which means 'suddenly' -- इत्तफ़ाक़ से (ittfaaq se) is about an unplanned coincidence, not speed or abruptness. 2) It is often placed at the very start of the sentence, unlike many adverbs that sit closer to the verb -- putting it mid-sentence can sound awkward.
Sample Sentences:
इत्तफ़ाक़ से, आज मेरी उससे बरसों बाद मुलाक़ात हो गई।
Coincidentally, I ran into him today after years.
(ittfaaq se, aaj merii usse barson baad mulaaqaat ho gaii।)
इत्तफ़ाक़ से, हम दोनों एक ही ट्रेन में सवार थे।
By coincidence, both of us were on the same train.
(ittfaaq se, ham donon ek hii tren men savaar the।)
इत्तफ़ाक़ से मैं उस दिन बाज़ार गया था, वरना ये सामान कभी नहीं मिलता।
As it happened, I went to the market that day, otherwise I never would have found this stuff.
(ittfaaq se main us din baazaar gayaa thaa, varnaa ye saamaan kabhii nahiin miltaa।)
इत्तफ़ाक़ से, वो वहीं मिल गया जहाँ मैं उसे ढूँढ रहा था।
Coincidentally, he turned up right where I was looking for him.
(ittfaaq se, vo vahiin mil gayaa jahaan main use dhoondh rahaa thaa।)
क्या इत्तफ़ाक़ से आपके पास एक अतिरिक्त छाता है?
Do you happen to have a spare umbrella, by any chance?
(kyaa ittfaaq se aapke paas ek atirikt chhaataa hai?)
मुख्यमंत्री और विपक्षी नेता इत्तफ़ाक़ से एक ही फ़्लाइट में यात्रा कर रहे थे।
As it happened, the chief minister and the opposition leader were traveling on the same flight.
(mukhymantrii aur vipakshii netaa ittfaaq se ek hii flaait men yaatraa kar rahe the।)
इत्तफ़ाक़ से उसका जन्मदिन भी उसी तारीख़ को पड़ता है जिस दिन मेरा है।
As it happens, his birthday also falls on the same date as mine.
(ittfaaq se uskaa janmdin bhii usii taariikh ko padtaa hai jis din meraa hai।)
इत्तफ़ाक़ से अगर वो पहले पहुँच जाए, तो उसे यह चिट्ठी दे देना।
If by any chance he happens to arrive first, give him this letter.
(ittfaaq se agar vo pahle pahunch jaae, to use yah chitthii de denaa।)
गवाह ने बताया कि इत्तफ़ाक़ से वो घटनास्थल के पास से गुज़र रहा था।
The witness said that he happened to be passing by the scene of the incident.
(gavaah ne bataayaa ki ittfaaq se vo ghatnaasthal ke paas se guzar rahaa thaa।)
अरे यार, इत्तफ़ाक़ से मेरा पर्स भी उसी दुकान पर छूट गया था!
Oh man, as luck would have it, my wallet also got left behind at that very shop!
(are yaar, ittfaaq se meraa pars bhii usii dukaan par chhoot gayaa thaa!)