Definition
萍水相逢 (píng shuǐ xiāng féng) is a literary idiom meaning 'to meet by chance like drifting duckweed' — it describes a fleeting, accidental encounter between strangers, often with a sense of fate or brief but meaningful connection. The image suggests two pieces of duckweed adrift, meeting briefly on the water before drifting apart.
idiom
to meet by chance like drifting duckweeda fortuitous encounter between strangers
Examples
- 萍水相逢，。Wǒmen suīrán zhǐ shì píng shuǐ xiāng féng, dàn nà cì tánhuà ràng wǒ yìnxiàng shēnkè.Although we only met by chance, that conversation left a deep impression on me.
- ，萍水相逢，。Zài huǒchē shàng, wǒ hé yí wèi lǎorén píng shuǐ xiāng féng, liáo le yí lù.On the train, I met an old man by chance and we chatted the whole way.
- 萍水相逢，。píng shuǐ xiāng féng de yuánfèn, yǒushí bǐ zhāoxī xiāngchǔ gèng lìng rén zhēnxī.The fate of a chance encounter is sometimes more cherished than daily companionship.
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