“What a coincidence! I was just about to call you.”

English Lesson: What a coincidence! I was just about to call you.

A friend who you used to work with calls you. You were thinking about this friend earlier today, so you mention this when you answer the phone.

What a coincidence! I was just about to call you.

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What a coincidence!

A "coincidence" is when something that seems unlikely happens. Here are some examples of coincidences:

  • You're vacationing in another country, and you run into one of your friends from college who's on a vacation there as well.
  • You check your account balance at an ATM, and the amount of money in your account is exactly equal to the year that you were born.
  • Three movies come out in the same season which are all based on the same children's story.

When something coincidental happens, you can say:

What a coinclidence!

I was just about to (do something).

Use this expression to talk about something that you were planning to do next. For example, at work:

A: Hey, are you busy?

B: Actually, I was just about to leave. What do you need?

This expression is useful in situations where you're a little bit late doing something:

A: Hey, can you send me those sales projections?

B: Yes, sorry. I was just about to do that.

This makes it seem like you were already planning to send them soon, even if this person didn't remind you.