bump into
B1Informal
Definition
Meaning
To meet someone by chance or unexpectedly.
To accidentally hit or knock against something or someone with a slight impact.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used for accidental social encounters. The physical collision sense is also common but often implies a minor, unintentional impact.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. Both varieties use it identically for social and physical encounters.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly positive for social encounters (implying pleasant surprise), neutral to slightly negative for physical collisions.
Frequency
Equally frequent and colloquial in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SUBJ + bump into + OBJ (person/thing)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “bump into someone (in the street)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare in formal writing; used in casual conversation: 'I bumped into the CEO at the airport.'
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Very common for describing unexpected meetings.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I bumped into Liam at the Tesco yesterday.
- Mind you don't bump into the furniture in the dark.
American English
- I bumped into Sarah at the mall last weekend.
- He bumped into the doorframe on his way out.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I bumped into my teacher in the park.
- It was so strange to bump into an old school friend after ten years.
- While browsing the exhibition, I unexpectedly bumped into a former client.
- The researcher serendipitously bumped into a crucial piece of evidence while reviewing tangential data.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine literally BUMPING your shoulder into someone on a crowded street, looking up, and realizing it's an old friend you haven't seen in years.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER IS A PHYSICAL COLLISION (The social meeting is framed as an accidental physical event).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation 'удариться во что-то' for social meetings. For 'meet by chance', use 'bump into' or 'run into', not 'meet with' which implies arrangement.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'bump against' for people (incorrect: *I bumped against John). 'Bump against' is for objects. Using in formal writing.
- Using continuous tenses awkwardly (*I was bumping into him). It's typically used in simple past.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'bump into' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is informal. In formal writing, use 'meet by chance', 'encounter', or 'happen to meet'.
Yes, for physical objects it means to hit accidentally: 'I bumped into the table.' For information, use 'come across': 'I came across an old photo.'
They are largely synonymous for social meetings. 'Run into' might be slightly more common in American English. Both are informal.
The past simple is most common because you report a completed, unexpected event: 'I bumped into her.' The present perfect is also used for recent, relevant events: 'Have you bumped into him lately?'
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