随机 suíjī according to the situation
according to the situation; pragmatic; random
How to remember 随机: 随 follow + 机 machine = according to the situation.
Characters
How it is used
- Two senses: 'random' (statistical) and 'as the situation dictates' - 随机抽取 (suíjī chōuqǔ) to select at random; 随机应变 to adapt flexibly.
- The technical 'random' sense (随机数, 随机事件) is common in tech/math; the 应变 sense means responding to circumstances.
- Note 随机应变 = to think on one's feet, a valued flexibility, not chaos.