‘倘来’ is an elegant, literary adjective meaning 'casual', 'accidental', or 'uninvited'—describing something that arrives or appears without intention, planning, or prior arrangement. The character 倘 (tǎng) originally conveys a sense of 'if' or 'by chance', while 来 (lái) means 'to come'; together, they evoke the image of something arriving spontaneously, as if by happenstance. Though grammatically an adjective, it functions most naturally in attributive position before nouns (e.g., 倘来之客, 'an uninvited guest') and carries a slightly classical or refined tone.

This term appears frequently in written Chinese—especially in essays, historical narratives, or formal speech—to add nuance when describing unplanned events, unexpected visitors, or incidental possessions. It is rarely used in casual spoken Mandarin, where simpler terms like 突然的 (sudden) or 不请自来的 (uninvited) are more common. Its literary flavor makes it especially suitable for describing serendipitous encounters, accidental discoveries, or transient phenomena.