If something is fortuitous, it happens by chance — nobody planned it. In careful English that is all it means: lucky or unlucky, just not arranged.

If something is fortuitous如果某件事是fortuitous的 it happens by chance它就是碰巧發生的 nobody planned it沒有人事先安排 In careful English在講究一點的英文裡 that is all it means這就是它全部的意思 lucky or unlucky不管是好運還是壞運 just not arranged只是沒有人安排

Though actually, many people now use it as a fancy word for lucky, as if the chance came with a good result. Learner books often give that warmer meaning, and you will hear it that way. Teachers who love old meanings still wrinkle their noses.

Though actually不過其實 many people now use it as a fancy word for lucky現在很多人把它當成lucky的高級說法在用 as if the chance came with a good result好像這個「碰巧」自帶好結果一樣 Learner books often give that warmer meaning學習用的書常常給這個比較溫暖的意思 and you will hear it that way你也會聽到人這樣用 Teachers who love old meanings喜歡舊意思的老師們 still wrinkle their noses還是會皺眉頭不太認同

The word is formal; in ordinary talk people say by chance, lucky, or a happy accident.

The word is formal這個字很正式 in ordinary talk日常說話裡 people say by chance, lucky, or a happy accident大家會說by chance、lucky，或happy accident

It sits near fortunate in the dictionary, but they are not twins: fortunate means you are in a good situation. Fortuitous means the meeting or the timing was an accident — and only sometimes a happy one.

It sits near fortunate in the dictionary它在字典裡跟fortunate離得很近 but they are not twins但兩個字不是雙胞胎 fortunate means you are in a good situationfortunate指的是你處在好的情況裡 Fortuitous means the meeting or the timing was an accidentfortuitous指的是相遇或時機是碰巧發生的 and only sometimes a happy one而且只有時候才是好的巧合

It also does not belong with fortress or fortitude. Those come from a different Latin word meaning strong. This one comes from chance and luck.

It also does not belong with fortress or fortitude它也跟fortress或fortitude沒有關係 Those come from a different Latin word meaning strong那兩個字來自另一個意思是「強壯」的拉丁字 This one comes from chance and luck這個字則是來自「機會」和「運氣」