coincidencia

/koh-een-see-DEN-syah/

coincidence

Two people, one holding a red umbrella and the other a blue balloon, unexpectedly bump into each other on a street corner, both showing surprised expressions.

A surprising chance meeting is a coincidencia.

coincidencia(noun)

fA2

coincidence

A surprising chance meeting or event

Also:

chance occurrence

A random event

📝 In Action

¡Qué coincidencia! Yo también estudio en esa universidad.

What a coincidence! I also study at that university.

No fue planeado, fue pura coincidencia que estuviéramos en el mismo café.

It wasn't planned, it was pure coincidence that we were in the same café.

Word Connections

Synonyms

casualidad (chance)
azar (luck/chance)

Common Collocations

pura coincidencia – pure coincidence
gran coincidencia – big coincidence

💡 Grammar Points

Expressing Surprise

To express surprise, use '¡Qué coincidencia!' (What a coincidence!) or 'Es una coincidencia' (It is a coincidence).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Coincidencia' for 'Chance'

Mistake: "Sometimes learners use 'coincidencia' when they mean 'by chance' (por casualidad)."

Correction: Use 'Por casualidad, encontré mi cartera.' (By chance, I found my wallet.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Using the Verb Form

The verb form is 'coincidir,' meaning 'to coincide' or 'to agree.' Example: 'Nuestras vacaciones coinciden' (Our vacations coincide).

Two friendly figures stand side-by-side, both pointing toward a large, shared, brightly colored heart floating between them, symbolizing mutual agreement.

When opinions align, that is a strong coincidencia or agreement.

coincidencia(noun)

fB2

agreement

Agreement of opinions or facts

Also:

congruence

Matching or alignment (e.g., in geometry or data)

📝 In Action

Existe una total coincidencia entre las declaraciones de los dos testigos.

There is total agreement between the statements of the two witnesses.

La superposición de los gráficos mostró una coincidencia sorprendente.

The superimposition of the graphs showed a surprising congruence.

Word Connections

Synonyms

acuerdo (agreement)
concordancia (concordance)

Antonyms

desacuerdo (disagreement)

💡 Grammar Points

Talking about Ideas

When talking about ideas matching, use the structure 'coincidencia de [noun]' (agreement of [noun]).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: coincidencia

Question 1 of 1

Which phrase best translates 'It was not agreement, but pure chance'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

coincidir(to coincide, to agree) - verb

coincidente(coinciding, agreeing) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I exclaim 'What a coincidence!' in Spanish?

The most common and natural way is '¡Qué coincidencia!'

Is 'casualidad' the same as 'coincidencia'?

They are very similar. 'Coincidencia' usually implies surprise or notice that two things happened together. 'Casualidad' is broader and often means 'by chance' (por casualidad).