tomber sur quelqu'un
The English phrase 'bump into someone' can be translated into French as tomber sur quelqu'un.
The phrase is used to describe meeting someone unexpectedly while you are out.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase is composed of the verb tomber (to fall) and the preposition sur (on), meaning 'to fall on someone'.
Which one should you use?
If you want to say you met someone in a neutral way, you can use rencontrer quelqu'un. However, tomber sur quelqu'un is used specifically to highlight that the encounter was unexpected or a coincidence.
Did you know?
- The verb tomber originally meant 'to dance' or 'to perform somersaults' in Old French, rather than just 'to fall'.
- While tomber sur quelqu'un means to meet someone by chance, you can also use tomber sur to mean 'to stumble upon' an object or a piece of information, such as a hidden truth or a specific book.
- In a slang or very informal context, tomber sur can also mean to encounter a difficult or unexpected problem, much like one might 'run into' trouble in English.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, je ne vous avais pas vu. Je vous ai croisé par hasard.Excuse me, I didn't see you. I bumped into you by chance.
- Pardon, je ne faisais pas attention et je suis tombé sur vous.Sorry, I wasn't paying attention and I bumped into you.
- Je suis tombé sur mon ancien professeur au supermarché.I bumped into my old teacher at the supermarket.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quelqu'un, sur, tomber, CC BY-SA 4.0.
