出会い・出合い・出逢い・出会・出合・出遭い|であいdeai[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounmeeting; rendezvous; encounter
   私わたしたちの出会であいはまったくの偶然ぐうぜんでした。↗

   Our meeting was quite accidental.
2. nounmeeting for the first time; coming across
3. nounconfluenceesp. 出合い, 出合

• SynonymエンカウンターNeutralA neutral loanword for an encounter; also used for random battles in games and encounter groups in psychology.
• Related鉢合わせはちあわせCasualColloquial: an unlucky bumping-into, often awkward. 「出会い」 usually suggests a meaningful meeting.
• Related遭遇そうぐうWrittenWritten/formal prose: running into accidents, enemies and the like—mostly negative. 「出会い」 is mostly about meeting people.
• Related出会うであうNeutralThe neutral verb form: to meet or get to know someone. 「出会い」 is the noun for the meeting itself.
• Related際会さいかいWrittenWritten: happening upon an occasion or event, as in 「好機に際会する」; usually things, not people.
• Related出くわすでくわすCasualColloquial verb for stumbling upon something, often unexpected or unwanted. 「出会い」 is more neutral.
• Relatedめぐり合うめぐりあうNeutralNeutral verb for reuniting after long separation or finally finding someone or something long sought, with emotion. 「出会う」 is plainer.
• RelatedあうNeutralThe most common neutral verb for meeting, including arranged meetings. 「出会い」 stresses chance or first-time meetings.
• Related会遇かいぐうFormalFormal and rare even in writing: a chance encounter. Say 「出会い」 or 「遭遇」 instead.
• Related遭逢そうほうWrittenWritten but rare: a chance encounter. Say 「遭遇」 instead.
• RelatedめぐりあいNeutralA neutral word for a chance meeting, often with a fated feel. 「出会い」 is more general and also covers first-time acquaintances.
• Related逢着ほうちゃくWrittenWritten: running into problems or situations—usually things. 「出会い」 is mostly about meeting people.
• Related顔を合わせるかおをあわせるCasualColloquial set phrase for meeting face to face, also for co-starring; about seeing someone in person, not first meetings.
• Related御目文字おめもじFormalFormal, mainly female usage for meeting someone, common in letters. 「出会い」 carries no honorific nuance.
• Related相見るあいみるWrittenWritten and old-fashioned: facing or seeing each other. In everyday speech say 「会う」.
• Antonym別れわかれNeutralNeutral antonym: parting or separation—the opposite of meeting.

Use 「出会い」 for first meetings, chance encounters, or meaningful meetings. For an arranged meeting say 「会う」; for running into an accident or trouble, 「遭遇」; for an awkward bumping-into, 「鉢合わせ」; for parting, 「別れ」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 出会であうこと。邂逅かいこう。