出会います（であいます、deaimasu）
- to meet

The Japanese verb 出会います (deaimasu) means "to meet," "to encounter," or "to come across." It generally implies a chance meeting or an unplanned encounter, often with a person, but can also be used for objects, situations, or events. It suggests a meeting that was not necessarily planned beforehand. The focus is on the act of encountering or coming face to face with something or someone. The meaning is very close to "to come across".

⚫︎ 道で友達に出会いました。 Translation: I met my friend on the street. ⚫︎ 新しい文化に出会うのは面白いです。 Translation: It is interesting to encounter a new culture. ⚫︎ 素敵なレストランにたまたま出会いました。 Translation: I happened to come across a wonderful restaurant.

⚫︎ 出会います is used to describe a meeting or encounter that is often unexpected or unplanned. ⚫︎ It's often used when talking about meeting people, but can also be used for encountering objects, places, or experiences. ⚫︎ When talking about meeting someone, it often implies a first meeting or a meeting that was not specifically arranged. ⚫︎ It is appropriate for formal and informal contexts, depending on the politeness level of the verb conjugation. For example, 出会う is the dictionary form, 出会いました is the past tense polite form.

⚫︎ The base form is 出会う (deau). ⚫︎ The polite form is 出会います (deaimasu). ⚫︎ It is written with the kanji 出 (de, meaning "to come out," "to exit") and 会 (ai, meaning "to meet"). ⚫︎ The hiragana for the okurigana is 会います (aimasu), so the suffix changes according to the conjugation. ⚫︎ Variations of okurigana are not typical.

⚫︎ 会う (au): "to meet," but often implies a pre-arranged meeting. ⚫︎ 遭遇する (souguu suru): "to encounter" or "to come across" (more formal). ⚫︎ 出会う 出会います shares a meaning with words like 出会いました or 出会い.

⚫︎ While there isn't a direct antonym, words like 別れる (wakareru - to separate) or 去る (saru - to leave) could be considered opposites in the context of ending a meeting or relationship.

駅で以前のクラスメートに出会いました。 ・Translation: I met my former classmate at the station. ・Explanation: This sentence describes an unplanned meeting with a former classmate at the train station.

旅行中に新しい友達に出会うのが楽しみです。 ・Translation: I'm looking forward to meeting new friends during the trip. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses anticipation for encountering new people during a trip. The 出会う, dictionary form of 出会います is used because it's part of a subordinate clause.

⚫︎ The kanji 出 (de) literally means "to come out" or "to appear," and 会 (ai) means "to meet" or "to gather." ⚫︎ The combination of these two kanji suggests the act of "coming out" to meet or encounter something. ⚫︎ The word's etymology is directly related to the meaning of a chance encounter or meeting.