Bump into means to meet someone you know by chance, or to accidentally hit something. In the first meaning it's an unexpected meeting: I bumped into Kate at the airport. In the second, it's a light collision: knocking into a passer-by, walking into a door.
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bump into + person (meet by chance); bump into + door/table/someone (hit by accident)
- I bumped into my old boss at the airport, and we ended up sharing a taxi.
- I was reading a message while walking and bumped into a lamp post.
What changed
First versionYesterday I bumped with my old teacher in the supermarket.
RevisionYesterday I bumped into my old teacher in the supermarket.
You collide with someone, so with can seem right. But bump into already has its preposition, and the person comes straight after it: bumped into my old teacher. With was replaced with into.
Run into also means to meet someone by chance, and for meeting someone you know the two are interchangeable. But for difficulties people usually say run into: We ran into problems with the visa. Bump into is mostly kept for people and objects.
Your turn
I didn't expect to see anyone I knew in Rome, but I ___ my old classmate outside the Colosseum.
Show the answer
bumped into — The meeting was by chance: the speaker didn't expect to see anyone in Rome, so bumped into. Native speakers don't say bumped with.
Describe an unexpected meeting with someone you know. Say where it happened and who you met.
Last summer I bumped into my school friend Dima at a petrol station near Sochi.
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