What does “de casualidad” mean in Spanish?

The dad is looking for his daughter to give her an injection. He asks the mom: “De casualidad no has visto Isabela por aquí.” Here “de casualidad” softens the question — it is like adding “by any chance” or “have you happened to.” It makes him sound polite and unsure, not demanding. He does not know the mom is hiding her just below him, which is the joke. You will hear this phrase when someone asks a careful, hopeful question.

In the clip: “De casualidad no has visto Isabela por aquí.” — “By any chance, have you seen Isabela around here?” “De casualidad” usually means “by chance” or “by any chance.” People drop it into a question to make it softer, like they’re just checking: - “¿De casualidad tienes una pluma?” — “Do you happen to have a pen?” - “¿De casualidad sabes qué hora es?” — “Do you happen to know what time it is?” - “Lo encontré de casualidad.” — “I found it by chance.” It can also mean something happened by accident or luck, as in that last example. In a question it makes you sound polite and a little unsure — a handy phrase when you’re asking a stranger for help.