इत्तफ़ाक़ (ittfaaq)
noun
A noun meaning 'coincidence' or 'chance occurrence', most often heard in the fixed phrase इत्तफ़ाक़ से (ittfaaq se, 'by coincidence'); it also carries a secondary, less common sense of 'agreement/concord' between people.
Sense
1
:
coincidence, chance happening
noun, masculine
Synonyms: संयोग (sanyog)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear इत्तफ़ाक़ से (ittfaaq se, 'by coincidence') constantly in everyday storytelling -- someone bumping into an old friend at a market, or two people wearing the same color kurta to a wedding. It's a Persian-origin word, very much at home in ordinary Hindi-Urdu speech across Delhi, not a fancy or literary choice.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use this only as an adjective ('coincidental'), but इत्तफ़ाक़ (ittfaaq) is a noun -- to describe something as coincidental, you say यह इत्तफ़ाक़ है (yah ittfaaq hai, 'this is a coincidence') or use the adverbial phrase इत्तफ़ाक़ से (ittfaaq se, 'by coincidence'). 2) Don't confuse with एतफ़ाक़/इत्तफ़ाक़ात (ittfaaqaat) the plural, used for 'events/happenings' in a more literary register.
Sample Sentences:
इत्तफ़ाक़ से मेरी मुलाक़ात उससे बाज़ार में हो गई।
By coincidence, I ran into him at the market.
(ittfaaq se merii mulaaqaat usse baazaar men ho gaii।)
क्या इत्तफ़ाक़ है, हम दोनों ने एक ही रंग का कुर्ता पहना है!
What a coincidence, both of us are wearing the same color kurta!
(kyaa ittfaaq hai, ham donon ne ek hii rang kaa kurtaa pahnaa hai!)
यह सिर्फ़ एक इत्तफ़ाक़ था, कोई साज़िश नहीं थी।
It was just a coincidence, not some conspiracy.
(yah sirf ek ittfaaq thaa, koii saazish nahiin thii।)
इत्तफ़ाक़ से वह भी उस ट्रेन में सफ़र कर रहा था।
By coincidence, he was also traveling on that train.
(ittfaaq se vah bhii us tren men safar kar rahaa thaa।)
अगर यह इत्तफ़ाक़ न होता, तो हम कभी नहीं मिलते।
If it hadn't been for this coincidence, we would never have met.
(agar yah ittfaaq n hotaa, to ham kabhii nahiin milte।)
क्या यह महज़ इत्तफ़ाक़ हो सकता है कि दोनों घटनाएँ एक ही दिन हुईं?
Could it merely be a coincidence that both events happened on the same day?
(kyaa yah mahaz ittfaaq ho saktaa hai ki donon ghatnaaen ek hii din huiin?)
इत्तफ़ाक़ से उसकी और मेरी सीट भी साथ-साथ निकली।
By coincidence, his and my seats turned out to be next to each other too.
(ittfaaq se uskii aur merii siit bhii saath-saath niklii।)
कभी-कभी ज़िंदगी में इत्तफ़ाक़ ऐसे होते हैं जो सोचने पर मजबूर कर देते हैं।
Sometimes in life, coincidences happen that force you to stop and think.
(kabhii-kabhii zindgii men ittfaaq aise hote hain jo sochne par majboor kar dete hain।)
यह कोई इत्तफ़ाक़ नहीं है कि तुम आज ही आए हो।
It's no coincidence that you came today of all days.
(yah koii ittfaaq nahiin hai ki tum aaj hii aae ho।)
पुलिस को शक़ था कि यह महज़ इत्तफ़ाक़ नहीं हो सकता।
The police suspected that this couldn't possibly be mere coincidence.
(pulis ko shaq thaa ki yah mahaz ittfaaq nahiin ho saktaa।)
उस शहर में उससे दोबारा मिलना शायद इत्तफ़ाक़ ही था।
Meeting him again in that city was probably just coincidence.
(us shahar men usse dobaaraa milnaa shaayad ittfaaq hii thaa।)
Sense
2
:
agreement, concord (between people)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: सहमति (sahamti), मेल (mel)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This sense is much rarer in daily conversation than the 'coincidence' meaning, and shows up mostly in slightly formal or reflective speech -- for instance, talking about two families finally reaching इत्तफ़ाक़ (ittfaaq) on a marriage proposal.
Sample Sentences:
दोनों परिवारों में शादी की बात पर इत्तफ़ाक़ हो गया।
Both families reached agreement on the marriage proposal.
(donon parivaaron men shaadii kii baat par ittfaaq ho gayaa।)
इस मुद्दे पर सबका इत्तफ़ाक़ नहीं है।
Not everyone is in agreement on this issue.
(is mudde par sabkaa ittfaaq nahiin hai।)
काश दोनों पक्षों में इत्तफ़ाक़ हो जाता।
If only the two sides had reached agreement.
(kaash donon pakshon men ittfaaq ho jaataa।)
उम्मीद है कि जल्द ही सबमें इत्तफ़ाक़ हो जाए।
It is hoped that agreement will be reached among everyone soon.
(ummiid hai ki jald hii sabmen ittfaaq ho jaae।)
बुज़ुर्गों के बीच इत्तफ़ाक़ होने से रिश्ता आसानी से तय हो गया।
With agreement reached among the elders, the match was settled easily.
(buzurgon ke biich ittfaaq hone se rishtaa aasaanii se tay ho gayaa।)
जब तक दोनों परिवारों में इत्तफ़ाक़ नहीं होगा, बात आगे नहीं बढ़ेगी।
Until the two families reach agreement, the matter won't move forward.
(jab tak donon parivaaron men ittfaaq nahiin hogaa, baat aage nahiin badhegii।)
बरसों की बातचीत के बाद आख़िरकार इत्तफ़ाक़ हुआ।
After years of discussion, agreement was finally reached.
(barson kii baatchiit ke baad aakhirkaar ittfaaq huaa।)
पंचायत में सबकी राय से इत्तफ़ाक़ बना।
In the panchayat, agreement was formed from everyone's opinion.
(panchaayat men sabkii raay se ittfaaq banaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
इत्तफ़ाक़
(ittfaaq)
(sg.m.oblique):
इत्तफ़ाक़
(ittfaaq)
(pl.m.direct):
इत्तफ़ाक़
(ittfaaq)
(pl.m.oblique):
इत्तफ़ाक़ों
(ittfaaqon)