冤家对头 (yuān jiā duì tóu) — sworn enemies; bitter opponents locked in a long-standing feud

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'sworn enemies' locked in a long-running feud — more emotionally charged and literary than plain 敌人, suggesting fate-bound opponents who keep clashing.

noun
sworn enemiesbitter opponents locked in a long-standing feud

Examples

  • 冤家对头，。
    Tā men liǎng gè shì duō nián de yuān jiā duì tóu, yí jiàn miàn jiù chǎo jià.
    Those two have been sworn enemies for years; they start arguing as soon as they meet.
  • ，冤家对头。
    Zài xiǎo shuō lǐ, zhè duì yuān jiā duì tóu zuì zhōng huà jiě le chóu hèn.
    In the novel, this pair of sworn enemies eventually resolved their hatred.
  • 冤家对头，。
    Tā men céng shì shēng yì shàng de yuān jiā duì tóu, xiàn zài què chéng le hé zuò huǒ bàn.
    They used to be bitter business rivals, but now they've become partners.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

冤家foe
冤yuānwronged家jiāfamily
偏正Modifier + head
对头opponent
对duìopposite头tóuhead
偏正Modifier + head

冤家 names a grudge-bearing foe, and 对头 names an opponent; the two together stress a sworn enemy.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape of 冤 is built from two parts: 冖, a cover, and 兔, a rabbit.

Open 冤 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →

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