Serendipity

[Pixter]

Hmmm any translations for this word??? is this an English word?

[Rusty]

This word is used in the US and UK. It isn't commonly used in Spanish, where the translation can be found in some dictionaries as la serendipia.
Here are better translations, since they'll be understood by everyone:
el descubrir/hallar/ algo por casualidad
el descubrimiento fortuito de algo muy bello

[sosia]

It's an special word made. Look here wiki for serendipity
It's difficult to be translated. The official translation is serendipia, but it's only used in academical places.
Use the suggestions Rusty gave, if needed.
saludos

[Elaina]

Algo muy interesante.........

serendipity1754 (but rare before 20c.), coined by Horace Walpole (1717-92) in a letter to Mann (dated Jan. 28); he said he formed it from the Persian fairy tale "The Three Princes of Serendip," whose heroes "were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of." The name is from Serendip, an old name for Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), from Arabic Sarandib, from Skt. Simhaladvipa "Dwelling-Place-of-Lions Island." Serendipitous formed c.1950.
La palabra en sí quizás se traduzca Seredipia pero a lo que acabo de leer parece que quiere decir.......

chiripada

in layman's terms, of course.

[Pixter]

LOL.....Elaina, you're right......having lived in the U.S. for almost 20 years, sometimes I forget things I used to say or hear (even though I'm always speaking Spanish to my relatives).

Yes, people (at least from my city) would say: "Me la encontre por pura chiripa en la tienda!" which is " I found her by pure coincidence at the store!" - meaning it was a good thing to find her.

Chiripa, which is slang- I think- is the perfect translation (at least to me) of serendipity. The official translation, serendipia, doesn't really make sense.
Thanks Elaina!!

[Elaina]

Well, thanks! You made my day.

A mi me pasa lo mismo, a veces se me olvida que aprendí esa palabra hace mucho tiempo (por falta de uso) hasta que surge la ocasión.

[sosia]

Elaina, ¡te acordaste de chiripa! but you're right