遇见 meaning in English

遇见 usually describes meeting someone by chance, not by plan. It often appears in stories, songs, and casual talk about unexpected encounters. Example: 我昨天在超市遇见了老师。(Wǒ zuótiān zài chāoshì yùjiàn le lǎoshī.) I ran into my teacher at the supermarket yesterday.

遇 (yù) has the walking radical 辶, so picture yourself out walking when something crosses your path. Add 见 (jiàn, to see) and you get 遇见: to walk along and suddenly see someone, to run into them.

Common mistake: Learners often use 遇见 for planned meetings, like meeting a friend for dinner. For arranged meetings use 见面 (jiànmiàn) instead, and remember 见面 takes no direct object, so say 跟他见面 (gēn tā jiànmiàn), not 见面他.