How to Say "accidental" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “accidental” is “accidental” — use this word when the event or occurrence is genuinely by chance and not planned, mirroring the most direct English meaning..
accidental
/ahk-see-den-TAHL//aksiðenˈtal/
Examples
Fue un encuentro accidental en la calle.
It was an accidental meeting in the street.
La policía dice que el incendio fue accidental.
The police say the fire was accidental.
Esos detalles son accidentales y no afectan el plan final.
Those details are incidental and do not affect the final plan.
One Form for Both Genders
Words ending in '-al' like 'accidental' stay the same whether you are describing a masculine or feminine thing. You can say 'un golpe accidental' or 'una caída accidental'.
Placement After the Noun
In Spanish, 'accidental' usually comes after the person or thing it describes to distinguish it from other types of events.
Don't use it for 'by accident'
Mistake: “Lo hice accidental.”
Correction: Lo hice sin querer OR lo hice de forma accidental.
casual
/ka-SWAL//kaˈswal/
Examples
Fue un encuentro casual en la biblioteca.
It was a chance meeting at the library.
No tengo un plan, es solo una observación casual.
I don't have a plan, it's just a casual observation.
El éxito no fue casual, trabajaron mucho.
The success wasn't accidental; they worked hard.
One size fits all
This word is the same whether you are describing a 'boy' word (masculine) or a 'girl' word (feminine). You don't need to change the ending to 'o' or 'a'.
Making it plural
Since the word ends in a consonant (L), you just add '-es' to make it plural: 'encuentros casuales'.
Casual vs. Casualidad
Mistake: “Use 'es un casual' to say 'it is a coincidence'.”
Correction: Say 'es una casualidad'. 'Casual' describes a thing (an adjective), while 'casualidad' is the noun for the event itself.
involuntario
/een-bo-loon-tah-ryo//imbolunˈtaɾjo/
Examples
Fue un error involuntario, no quería lastimarte.
It was an unintentional mistake, I didn't want to hurt you.
La respiración es un proceso involuntario del cuerpo.
Breathing is an involuntary process of the body.
El testigo tuvo un gesto involuntario de miedo.
The witness had an involuntary gesture of fear.
Matching Gender and Number
Since this word describes things, it must change to match the object: use 'involuntario' for masculine things, 'involuntaria' for feminine, and add an 's' for plural.
Word Order
In Spanish, 'involuntario' almost always comes AFTER the word it is describing, like 'error involuntario' (mistake unintentional).
Using 'sin querer' as a description
Mistake: “Un error sin querer.”
Correction: Un error involuntario.
Intentional vs. By Chance
Related Translations
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