Expressing Coincidence with "sattua"
When you want to say that you "happened to" do something, use the verb sattua.
When sattua is followed by another verb, that second verb takes its first infinitive (the dictionary form). Conjugate sattua to match the subject of the sentence, while the second verb remains unchanged.
| I happened to see him on the street. | Satuin näkemään hänet kadulla. |
| We happened to find an old book in the attic. | Satuimme löytämään vanhan kirjan ullakolta. |
Chance and Coincidence
You can also express the idea of coincidence using words derived from the same root, such as the adverb sattumalta (by chance) and the noun sattumus (a coincidence).
| They met by chance. | He tapasivat sattumalta. |
| It was a funny coincidence. | Se oli hauska sattumus. |
Accidental Discoveries
Unexpected events often involve stumbling upon things while performing actions like penkoa (to rummage through) or unintentionally hearing something.
| I happened to overhear their conversation behind the door. | Satuin kuulemaan heidän keskusteluaan oven takana. |
| Who is rummaging through my backpack? | Kuka penkoo minun reppuani? |
Old Acquaintances and Reunions
Coincidences frequently involve running into people from your past. Use the adjective entinen to refer to a "former" or "ex" person or thing, and jälleennäkeminen (literally "seeing again") for a reunion.
| I happened to meet my former boss on the street. | Satuin tapaamaan entisen pomoni kadulla. |
| The party was a wonderful reunion with friends. | Juhla oli ihana jälleennäkeminen ystävien kanssa. |
Casual Encounters and Reactions
Sometimes an action is quick or casual, such as vilkaista (to glance) or doing something ohimennen (in passing).
| I happened to glance out of the window. | Satuin vilkaisemaan ikkunasta ulos. |
| I happened to mention the matter to him quite in passing. | Satuin mainitsemaan asian hänelle aivan ohimennen. |
Sudden encounters or accidental remarks might cause someone to häkeltyä (to get flustered) or lipsauttaa (to let slip) a secret.
| He probably got flustered by this encounter. | Hän taisi häkeltyä tästä kohtaamisesta. |
| I happened to let his secret slip. | Satuin lipsauttamaan hänen salaisuutensa. |
| I found this by chance when I happened to rummage through the box. | Löysin tämän sattumalta, kun satuin penkomaan laatikkoa. |