Question: What's the best equivalent to the word "random" or

In what context?

@simpleauthority As in say drawing names from a hat, winning numbers in the lottery, no set pattern etc. Random in this context, and not necessarily "chance or by chance."

@borr
Random sounds like a technical term in statistics which for sure has a Filipino translation but not commonly used in everyday conversation. Based on your context, random means "bunutan", "palabunutan", "loterya". I hope this could help.

@hamilee Thank you for your input, those make sense in that regard but it's like relating to odds. As in being pulled/picked out of a hat hence "bunutan". But I realized, it was an error on my part. I should have just listed the definition, as I'm really looking for the technical equivalent of that.- a haphazard course
- without definite aim, direction, rule, or methodI asked a family member yesterday but no luck. So I did some searches on tagalogtranslate.com and it listed the following.- laya; pagtukmu-tukmo; paliban-liban; ala-swerte;
- [rándom] Ligaw; suling; pagkakataon
and something else I found
- pasumala???

I don't think there is a direct translation of the word "random" as far as I know. If I wanted to say, "It happened randomly," I would say it like, "Bigla nalang nangyari," which directly translates more as, "It (just) suddenly happened."

@miguelojo Yeah, it seems I have come to that conclusion that there isn't one that I can find. Oh well, I tried to look haha. Thanks for your input as well.

@borr
yes, Pasumala

"Nagkataon", if you meant "it's a random thing that happened". It isn't the same as "random" in English but it suggests that it was unintentional/unplanned.Hindi tiyak means uncertain/unsure. Hindi tiyak na mananalo siya. It's uncertain if she/he will will. Nagkataon na nanalo siya. she/he happened to win.

@hamilee Thank you so much. So just for example something like "Pasumalang pag-iisip, Isipang pasumala" for example would make sense for "Random (way of) thinking, Random thoughts," etc.?
Do you know where the stress in the word is? I'm assuming it's either Pasumála or Pasumalà with the glottal stop.

@Bituingmaykinang Yes "Nagkataon" was one of the ones I had in mind. I always think of that word as "the (season/time) happened to let it happen" or "(something) happened to happen during that time" I know that's not necessarily how it's defined but how I interpret the word. Basically meaning by chance or happenstance, so it can work in some cases for random. Thanks so much for your input as well.

An update.
I found it in an old dictionary I had (Diksiyunaryong Pilipino-Ingles by Felicidad T.E. Sagalongos) it's listed as: Pasumalá = (as a noun) contingency, possibility, chance. (as an adjective) at random, chance.

@borr
I think the way you pronouce the noun is "malumi". It means slow, with glottal stop and the stress is on the "ma". The way you pronounce the adverb and adjective is "maragsa". fast with glottal stop.

@borr
I believe pasumala is a formal word, technical term in statistics, if not "malalim na Tagalog" (old Tagalog word) and not commonly used in everyday conversations.
Like: I chose the participants in the survey randomly. or "Pinili ko ang mga kalahok sa pagsisiyasat nang pasumala." Random thoughts is a less formal way and could be translated to "mga kung ano-anong iniisip (not 'isipan')" depending on the context. Well it is also correct to say, "mga pasumalang iniisip" but we don't use it.Random (way of) thinking - pasumalang pag-iisip (you pronounce "pag-iisip" as mabilis or fast). The other "pag-iisip" means mind and you pronounce it slower or "mabagal". It is wrong to say random minds in this context.

@Bituingmaykinang Nagkataon = as it turned out, perchance, by chance, fortuitous, as luck would have it, as it happened. I don't think there's an exact word for random. One word I think is similar is "mangyari". Or "basta-basta".