Definition
擦肩而过 is a four-character set phrase (类似成语) that literally means 'to brush shoulders and pass by'. It is commonly used figuratively to describe a fleeting encounter or narrowly missing someone — often with a sense of fate or missed opportunity, especially in romantic contexts. It behaves as a fixed expression and is not a separable verb.
f.e.
to brush past someone (literally)to have a fleeting encounterto narrowly miss meeting (figurative)
Examples
- 擦肩而过，。Wǒmen zài jiē shàng cā jiān ér guò, què hùxiāng méi rèn chūlái.We brushed past each other on the street but didn't recognize each other.
- ，擦肩而过，。Nà cì lǚxíng zhōng, wǒmen yǔ yí wèi míngrén cā jiān ér guò, kěxī méi lái de jí héyǐng.During that trip, we brushed past a celebrity, but unfortunately we didn't have time to take a photo.
- 擦肩而过，。Rénshēng zhōng hěn duō yuánfèn dōu shì cā jiān ér guò, zhuǎn shùn jí shì.Many of life's fated encounters are just brushing past each other, fleeting.
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