chance / coincidence
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chance / coincidence
An event that occurs without any recognizable intention, plan, or apparent reason.
Es war reiner Zufall, dass ich sie nach so vielen Jahren wiedergetroffen habe.
It was pure coincidence that I met her again after so many years.
The word is made up of 'zu' and 'Fall'. The literal idea is that something 'zufällt' (falls to someone by chance), meaning it happens without a plan or intention.
Dass wir uns im Urlaub getroffen haben, war ein unglaublicher Zufall.
The fact that we met on vacation was an incredible coincidence.
The adjective and adverb 'zufällig' (random / by chance) are derived from the noun 'der Zufall' (chance / coincidence). It describes that something happens without a plan.
Ich habe sie zufällig in der Stadt gesehen.
I saw her by chance in town.
'Zufall' (chance / coincidence) is often combined with adjectives that evaluate the event. Common phrases are 'ein reiner Zufall' (pure coincidence), 'ein glücklicher Zufall' (a lucky coincidence), or 'ein dummer Zufall' (an unfortunate coincidence).
Es war ein glücklicher Zufall, dass der Arzt sofort zur Stelle war.
It was a lucky coincidence that the doctor was there immediately.
The expression 'durch Zufall' (by chance) works like an adverb and often appears at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. If it is in position 1, the verb follows directly after it.
Durch Zufall fand ich die Lösung des Problems.
By chance, I found the solution to the problem.
In the fixed expression 'nichts dem Zufall überlassen' (to leave nothing to chance), the word 'Zufall' is always in the dative. The construction means that you plan everything very carefully.
Für ihre Prüfungsvorbereitung hat sie nichts dem Zufall überlassen.
For her exam preparation, she left nothing to chance.
happiness / luck
'das Glück' and 'der Zufall' can both describe that something was not planned. 'Zufall' is neutral: something happens without intention or a plan; it can be good, bad, or unimportant. 'Glück' means a positive coincidence, meaning that something turns out well for someone. That is why the words can be confused when something unexpected happens. The simple rule is: not every 'Zufall' is 'Glück', but 'Glück' can be a good 'Zufall'.
Durch Zufall traf ich meine alte Nachbarin im Supermarkt.
By chance, I ran into my former neighbor at the supermarket.
Der Fahrer hatte Glück, weil niemand verletzt wurde.
The driver was lucky because no one was injured.