When talking about coincidences, unexpected encounters, or random occurrences, English often uses the phrase "to happen to" (e.g., "We happened to meet"). Romanian expresses this idea using the impersonal reflexive verb a se întâmpla (to happen) followed by the subjunctive mood.
The Impersonal "A se întâmpla să"
Because the event is left up to chance, a se întâmpla is used impersonally—meaning it is fixed in the third-person singular (often in the past tense as s-a întâmplat or present as se întâmplă).
To specify who performed the action, you conjugate the verb in the following subjunctive (să) clause. Literally, you are saying "It happened that we cross paths."
Another Verb for Chance: A se nimeri
A very common and colorful alternative to a se întâmpla is the reflexive verb a se nimeri. It conveys the exact same idea of serendipity or things randomly lining up just right. Like a se întâmpla, it acts impersonally in the third-person singular and is followed by a subjunctive clause.
Describing Synchronicity
When talking about running into old friends or bizarre twists of fate, you will often pair these impersonal expressions with adjectives like improbabil (improbable) or uimitor (amazing), as well as nouns describing the random nature of the event, like sincronizarea (the timing) or întâmplarea (the chance or random occurrence).
