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casual

casual

adjective kah-SWAHL Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Manner

Also means

chance

Usage Note

Casual is a partial false friend: it can mean 'casual' in the English sense of relaxed or informal (ropa casual, casual clothes), but its primary Spanish meaning is 'happening by chance or coincidence' (fue algo casual, it was something coincidental). Learners who use it to mean 'laid-back' will usually be understood in modern urban speech, but in formal or older registers only the 'chance' sense is safe. The related noun is casualidad ('coincidence, chance').

Examples

"El encuentro fue completamente casual."

Natural Translation

The meeting was completely coincidental.

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