奇遇

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 奇遇(きぐう) refers to an unexpected meeting or the discovery of a surprising connection.
• Basic usage: It appears when meeting an old friend while traveling or discovering that a seatmate comes from the same hometown.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Reacting to a chance encounter
  • 奇遇ですね shares surprise at an unexpected meeting or connection.
• Coincidence and worry
  • 偶然 broadly covers many kinds of coincidence. 杞憂(きゆう), whose Korean reading can sound the same, is a different word meaning needless worry.