run into

2 meanings

Meanings
  1. 1 meet someone by chance B1
  2. 2 suddenly have a problem or difficulty B1
1 run into sb

meet someone by chance

B1

What does "run into" mean in this sense?

To run into someone means to meet them by chance, without planning it. You might be at a supermarket, walking down the street, or at a party, and suddenly you see someone you know — that's running into them. The meeting is always unexpected; neither person planned to see the other. This phrasal verb is especially common in storytelling and anecdotes, when you want to tell someone about a surprising encounter you had. It is natural in both British and American English and works in everyday conversation as well as informal writing like emails or messages.

Examples

How to use it

run into + person

The most common pattern — the person you meet unexpectedly always comes directly after 'into'.

I ran into my old flatmate on the way to work this morning.

run into + pronoun

Pronouns like him, her, them, and you also go directly after 'into', never between 'run' and 'into'.

We hadn't spoken in years, but I ran into her at the airport last week.

run into + person + location phrase

It is very common to add where the unexpected meeting happened, using a phrase with 'at', 'on', or 'in'.

He ran into an old colleague at a conference in Madrid.

run into each other

Use this pattern when both people meet unexpectedly, making the encounter mutual.

We ran into each other at the cinema and ended up watching the film together.

happen to run into + person

Adding 'happen to' makes the sense of chance even stronger and is a very natural combination.

I happened to run into my former teacher while I was visiting my hometown.

Common Collocations

run into an old friendrun into a colleaguerun into my exrun into someone at the supermarketrun into each otherrun into someone I hadn't seen in years

Common Mistakes

Trying to separate the phrasal verb

Unlike some phrasal verbs, 'run into' cannot be split. The object must always come directly after 'into', never between 'run' and 'into'.

✗ I ran him into at the supermarket.
✓ I ran into him at the supermarket.
Using the future simple to describe a planned meeting

Because running into someone means an unplanned encounter, saying 'I will run into her tomorrow' sounds unnatural — you can't predict or schedule a chance meeting.

✗ I will run into my friend at the party tomorrow.
✓ I ran into my friend at the party last night.
Confusing the 'meet by chance' sense with the 'encounter a problem' sense

The same phrasal verb 'run into' is also used for encountering problems or difficulties. Make sure your object is a person when you mean an unexpected meeting — using an abstract noun like 'trouble' will change the meaning entirely.

✗ We ran into our project manager while organising the event. (when you mean there were difficulties)
✓ We ran into some difficulties while organising the event.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and natural in both British and American English. It is slightly more informal than 'encounter' but perfectly appropriate in most everyday contexts, including emails and general conversation.

2 run into sth

suddenly have a problem or difficulty

B1

Sense 2: What does "run into sth" mean?

This phrasal verb describes the moment when you unexpectedly come across a problem or difficulty that you did not plan for. The key idea is surprise — the problem appears without warning, often in the middle of a project, journey, or plan. It is used in many different situations, from everyday life to work and travel. Because it sounds relatively calm and neutral, people often use it in professional settings to report that something has gone wrong without sounding too alarming. For example, a team might say they 'ran into complications' rather than 'everything went badly wrong', which makes it a useful, diplomatic choice.

Examples

How to use it

subject + run into + problem noun

The most common pattern — a person, team, or project unexpectedly encounters a difficulty. The object must be an abstract noun referring to the problem.

The team ran into serious complications while preparing the report.

run into + problems / trouble / difficulties / delays

These are the most natural and frequent nouns used as objects with this phrasal verb.

She ran into trouble when she tried to renew her work permit.

might / could + run into + problem noun

Use this pattern to warn someone that a problem may appear unexpectedly in the future.

If you don't plan ahead, you might run into cash-flow problems later.

have + run into + problem noun

The present perfect is used to report that an unexpected problem has occurred and is still relevant now.

We've run into a few obstacles with the new software installation.

Common Collocations

problemstroubledifficultiescomplicationsobstaclesdelays

Common Mistakes

Trying to separate the verb

This phrasal verb is inseparable, so the object must always come after 'into'. Nothing can be placed between 'run' and 'into'.

✗ We ran some problems into while planning the event.
✓ We ran into some problems while planning the event.
Using a gerund as the object

The object must be a noun referring to the problem itself, not a gerund phrase. Use a noun like 'trouble' or 'difficulties' instead.

✗ They ran into having too many delays.
✓ They ran into too many delays.
Confusing the 'problem' sense with the 'meet by chance' sense

When the object is a person, 'run into' means to meet them accidentally. When the object is a problem or difficulty, it means to experience that problem unexpectedly. The type of object tells you which meaning is intended.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both professional emails and everyday speech. It implies the problem was unexpected, so it's a natural, slightly diplomatic way to report that something has gone wrong in a project or plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'run into' always refer to meeting people, or can it be used for things too?

'Run into' has more than one meaning. When the object is a person, it means an unexpected meeting — which is this sense. When the object is something abstract like 'problems' or 'trouble', it means to encounter a difficulty. Context usually makes the meaning clear straight away.

Can I use 'run into' in the present tense, like 'I run into her at the office'?

It is possible in a habitual sense, for example 'I often run into her on the train', meaning it happens regularly. However, it is rarely used in the present continuous ('I am running into her') because the encounter is typically a brief, one-moment event rather than something happening right now.

Is 'run into' the same as 'bump into'?

Yes, in this meaning they are interchangeable — both describe an unexpected meeting with someone. The main difference is that 'bump into' is slightly more informal and more common in British English, while 'run into' is equally natural in both British and American English.

Do I always need to say who I ran into, or can I just say 'I ran into'?

You always need to include who you met — 'I ran into' on its own is not a complete sentence in this meaning. You might say 'I ran into an old friend' or 'I ran into her', but the person must be mentioned.

What kinds of adverbs go well with 'run into' to show it was a surprise?

Adverbs and phrases like 'randomly', 'actually', 'completely out of the blue', and 'of all people' are very natural with this phrasal verb and make the sense of surprise stronger. For example: 'I randomly ran into my old boss at the gym' or 'Of all people, I ran into my ex on holiday.'

Does 'run into' always mean there was a problem? Can I use it for small issues too?

Yes, you can use it for both small and large problems. 'We ran into a minor snag' is just as natural as 'we ran into serious difficulties'. The phrasal verb simply highlights that the problem was unexpected, whatever its size.

Can I say 'we are running into problems' in the present continuous?

It is not wrong, but it can sound a little unnatural. Learners often find it more natural to say 'we are having problems' or 'we keep running into problems' in the present. The simple past and present perfect are much more common with this phrasal verb.

What kinds of nouns can I use as the object?

The object should be an abstract noun describing a difficulty or obstacle, such as 'problems', 'trouble', 'difficulties', 'complications', 'delays', 'obstacles', or 'resistance'. Concrete physical objects would give the sentence a different meaning (a collision), so stick to these types of nouns for this sense.

Can I say 'the problem was run into by our team'?

No, this phrasal verb does not work in the passive. The person or group experiencing the problem is always the subject of the sentence. You would say 'our team ran into the problem', not the other way around.

Does 'run into' suggest the problem is serious?

Not necessarily — the phrasal verb is neutral about how serious the problem is. However, it does suggest the problem was unplanned or unexpected. It is also slightly softer in tone than saying 'we have a big problem', which is why it is often used in professional emails and reports.

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