打照面 (dǎ zhào miàn) — to run into (someone) briefly, to meet face to face (unexpectedly)

Definition

A colloquial phrase meaning to bump into someone briefly or unexpectedly — usually face-to-face in passing. No true near-synonym sibling in this row; treat it as a casual alternative to 见面 in unplanned encounters.

verb
to run into (someone) brieflyto meet face to face (unexpectedly)

Examples

  • 打照面。
    Wǒ men zhī zài zǒu láng shàng dǎ le yí gè dǎ zhào miàn.
    We only ran into each other briefly in the hallway.
  • 打照面，。
    Wǒ gēn tā dǎ guò yí cì dǎ zhào miàn, dàn méi shuō guò huà.
    I've run into her once, but we've never spoken.
  • 打照面，。
    Zài jiē shàng tū rán dǎ zhào miàn, wǒ men dōu xià le yí tiào.
    Running into each other suddenly on the street, we were both startled.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

打dǎmake
照面meet face
照zhàomeet面miànface
动宾Verb + object

打 means make and 照面 means meet face; the word describes a brief face-to-face encounter.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng打dǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

打 uses 扌, a hand, to show an action done with the hand, and 丁 to give the sound.

Open 打 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
昭
昭zhāo照zhào
Same sound today

照 uses 灬, a bottom form of 火 (fire), plus 昭 for the sound.

Open 照 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →

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