相见恨晚 (xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn) — to regret not having met someone earlier; to wish one had met someone sooner

Definition

A chengyu meaning you enjoy someone so much that you regret not meeting earlier. Use for people, not events or places.

idiom
to regret not having met someone earlierto wish one had met someone sooner

Examples

  • ，相见恨晚！
    Gēn tā liáo tiān zhēn kāi xīn, zhēn shì xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn a!
    Chatting with him is so enjoyable — it's truly a case of 'wish we'd met sooner'!
  • ，相见恨晚。
    Suī rán wǒ men cái rèn shi, dàn wǒ yǒu xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn de gǎn jué.
    Even though we just met, I feel like we should have known each other long ago.
  • ，相见恨晚，。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō lǐ, liǎng wèi zhǔ jué xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn, hěn kuài jiù chéng le zhī jǐ.
    In this novel, the two protagonists regret not meeting earlier and quickly become soulmates.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 見; 见 is its simplified writing.

  • 目目mùeye
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The traditional form 見 pairs 目 (eye) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a kneeling figure with a large eye for a head. The simplified 见 is a later shorthand.

Open 见 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart; thought; emotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn恨hèn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 忄 is the heart, pointing to an emotion such as regret or hate. The right side 艮 supplies the sound.

Open 恨 →

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
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
免
免miǎn晚wǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

晚 pairs 日, the sun part, with 免, which supplies the sound.

Open 晚 →

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