萍水相逢
Chinese
| duckweed floating on the surface of water | to meet by chance; to bump into each other; to run into each other | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (萍水相逢) | 萍水 | 相逢 | |
| simp. #(萍水相逢) | 萍水 | 相逢 | |
Etymology
First attested in the 7th century. Coined by Wang Bo in his masterpiece:
- 關山難越，誰悲失路之人；萍水相逢，盡是他鄉之客。懷帝閽而不見，奉宣室以何年？ [Literary Chinese, trad.]
- From: c. 675, 王勃,《秋日登洪府滕王閣餞別序》, translated by Luo Jingguo (罗经国)
- Guānshān nán yuè, shéi bēi shīlù zhī rén; píngshuǐxiàngféng, jìn shì tāxiāng zhī kè. Huái dìhūn ér bùjiàn, fèng xuānshì yǐ hénián? [Pinyin]
- Since the mountains and passes are hard to travel over, who would sympathize with the disappointed ones? The people I meet here are all politically frustrated, drifting together like duckweeds. I pine for the Emperor but am not summoned. How long should I wait before being called to the court again like Jia Yi?
关山难越，谁悲失路之人；萍水相逢，尽是他乡之客。怀帝阍而不见，奉宣室以何年？ [Literary Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Pinyin): píngshuǐxiāngféng
- (Zhuyin): ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄈㄥˊ
- Cantonese (Jyutping): ping4 seoi2 soeng1 fung4
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: píngshuǐxiāngféng
- Zhuyin: ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄈㄥˊ
- Tongyong Pinyin: píngshuěisiangfóng
- Wade–Giles: pʻing2-shui3-hsiang1-fêng2
- Yale: píng-shwěi-syāng-féng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pyngshoeishiangferng
- Palladius: пиншуйсянфэн (pinšujsjanfɛn)
- Sinological IPA (key): /pʰiŋ³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ fɤŋ³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: ping4 seoi2 soeng1 fung4
- Yale: pìhng séui sēung fùhng
- Cantonese Pinyin: ping4 soey2 soeng1 fung4
- Guangdong Romanization: ping4 sêu2 sêng1 fung4
- Sinological IPA (key): /pʰɪŋ²¹ sɵy̯³⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ fʊŋ²¹/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Middle Chinese: beng sywijX sjang bjowng
Idiom
萍水相逢