The Word “Encounter”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages
Definition: The word “encounter” is a verb that means to come across or meet someone or something unexpectedly, usually under surprising or sometimes challenging circumstances. It can also be used as a noun, referring to an event or situation where one meets something or someone, often unexpectedly or by chance. An encounter can be either positive or negative depending on the context.
Common Uses:
- To meet unexpectedly: “I encountered an old friend at the grocery store today.”
- A challenge or difficulty: “He encountered many obstacles while traveling in the mountains.”
- A brief or chance meeting: “Their encounter at the party was brief but memorable.”
- To experience something for the first time: “She encountered a new culture when she moved abroad.”
Example Sentences:
- “On my hike, I encountered a bear near the trail.”
- “The team encountered numerous setbacks during their project.”
- “It was an unexpected encounter with my former teacher at the airport.”
- “The students encountered new technology during their training.”
Translations and Example Sentences in 30 Languages:
| Language | Translation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Encontrar | Me encontré con un antiguo amigo en el mercado hoy. |
| French | Rencontrer | Elle a rencontré un collègue de travail dans le café. |
| German | Begegnen | Ich habe ihm auf der Straße begegnet. |
| Italian | Incontrare | Abbiamo incontrato degli ospiti inaspettati alla festa. |
| Portuguese | Encontrar | Ela encontrou um velho amigo durante a viagem. |
| Dutch | Ontmoeten | Ze ontmoette haar oude vriend op de markt. |
| Russian | Столкнуться (Stolknut’sya) | Он столкнулся с трудностями в процессе работы. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 遇到 (Yù dào) | 我在街上遇到了我的老朋友。 |
| Japanese | 出会う (Deau) | 私は駅で偶然彼に出会いました。 |
| Korean | 만나다 (Mannada) | 그녀는 길에서 친구를 만났어요. |
| Hindi | सामना करना (Saamna Karna) | मैंने उस व्यक्ति से एक अनपेक्षित सामना किया। |
| Bengali | সাক্ষাৎ (Sākṣāt) | আমি বাজারে আমার পুরানো বন্ধুদের সঙ্গে সাক্ষাৎ করেছিলাম। |
| Turkish | Karşılaşmak | O, yolda eski bir arkadaşıyla karşılaştı. |
| Greek | Συναντώ (Synantó) | Τον συνάντησα στο πάρκο χθες το απόγευμα. |
| Hebrew | לפגוש (Lifgosh) | היא פגשה את חברתה במקרה ברחוב. |
| Swedish | Möta | Han mötte en gammal vän på gatan. |
| Norwegian | Møte | Jeg møtte henne tilfeldig på kafeen. |
| Danish | Møde | De mødte en ny kunde på messen. |
| Finnish | Kohdata | Hän kohtasi vanhan ystävänsä sattumalta kaupungilla. |
| Polish | Spotkać | Spotkałem moją koleżankę w sklepie dzisiaj. |
| Czech | Setkat se | Setkal se s mnoha problémy během práce na projektu. |
| Hungarian | Találkozik | Megtörtént a váratlan találkozás az iskolában. |
| Romanian | Întâlni | A întâlnit o persoană necunoscută pe drum. |
| Thai | พบ (Phóp) | เขาพบเพื่อนเก่าในงานเลี้ยงเมื่อคืนนี้. |
| Vietnamese | Gặp | Anh ta gặp phải khó khăn trong cuộc hành trình. |
| Indonesian | Bertemu | Saya bertemu dengan teman lama di pasar tadi. |
| Malay | Bertemu | Dia bertemu seorang kenalan lama di lapangan. |
| Swahili | Kukutana | Aliweza kukutana na changamoto nyingi wakati akifanya kazi. |
| Filipino | Makatagpo | Nagkita kami ng hindi inaasahan sa cafe. |
| Arabic | يلتقي (Yaltaqi) | لقد التقيت بصديق قديم في السوق اليوم. |
Additional Examples:
- Spanish:
- “Nuestro equipo se encontró con varios obstáculos durante el proyecto.”
- French:
- “Nous avons rencontré des gens intéressants lors de notre voyage.”
- German:
- “Ich begegnete einem alten Freund auf dem Weg zur Arbeit.”
- Italian:
- “Ho incontrato molte persone durante il mio viaggio in Europa.”
- Russian:
- “Мы столкнулись с трудностями, но решили их быстро решить.”
- Chinese:
- “他遇到了一些困难，但最终克服了它们。”
- Japanese:
- “私は新しい文化に出会い、視野が広がった。”
- Korean:
- “그는 여행 중 많은 도전과 만났어요.”
- Arabic:
- “لقد قابلت تحديات كثيرة أثناء إتمام المشروع.”
- Bengali:
- “সে তার কর্মজীবনে অনেক বাধা সাপেক্ষে সাক্ষাৎ করেছে।”
The word “encounter” holds significance in both its literal and figurative uses, referring to an unexpected meeting or the experience of challenges. It can refer to an accidental meeting with a person or a situation that demands attention, like facing difficulties or overcoming obstacles. Whether used to describe a brief encounter or an intense challenge, it conveys the element of surprise or unplanned interactions. In all languages, “encounter” underscores a universal experience of facing something new, whether it’s a person, place, or challenge, illustrating the shared human experience across different cultures and languages.
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