冤家 (yuān jiā) — (noun) an enemy, a foe (often one fated to oppose); (noun) (traditional) one's destined lover, sweetheart
Definition
A word used in literary/traditional Chinese that means both 'fated enemy' and 'beloved' — typically an opposite-sex partner you love and resent at the same time. The phrase 又爱又恨 captures this double meaning.
noun
an enemya foe (often one fated to oppose)(traditional) one's destined loversweetheart
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 冤家，。Tā men liǎng gè shì duō nián de yuān jiā, yí jiàn miàn jiù chǎo jià.Those two are old enemies — they argue as soon as they meet.
- ：“冤家，。”Tā qīng shēng xiào dào: "nǐ zhè ge yuān jiā, zǒng ràng wǒ yòu ài yòu hèn."She smiled softly and said, 'You, my sweetheart, always make me both love and hate you.'
- 冤家，。Zhēn shì yuān jiā lù zhǎi, zài chāo shì yòu pèng dào tā le.What a small world — I ran into him again at the supermarket.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.