碰 (pèng) - To touch & to bump

碰Tone 4

pèng ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

碰 · pèng

To touch;

to bump;

to meet;

to encounter;

to try one's luck;

to take a chance.

To touchto bumpto meet

Usage highlights

Bump into/meet by chanceEncounter/come acrossTry one's luckTouch/make contactCollide/crashRun into difficulties

Synonyms

  • 触— to touch; to contact
  • 撞— to bump; to collide
  • 遇— to meet; to encounter

Antonyms

  • 避— to avoid; to evade
  • 躲— to hide; to dodge

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Don't touch that hot surface (别碰那个热表面).
  • I bumped into an old friend yesterday (我昨天碰见了一个老朋友).
  • Let's try our luck at the lottery (让我们碰碰运气买彩票).
  • The two cars collided at the intersection (两辆车在十字路口相碰).

Collocations

  • Bump into/meet by chance(碰见)
  • Encounter/come across(碰到)
  • Try one's luck(碰运气)
  • Touch/make contact(触碰)
  • Collide/crash(碰撞)
  • Run into difficulties(碰钉子)

Idioms

  • Running into obstacles everywhere(到处碰壁)
  • Bumping into the southern wall without turning back(碰南墙不回头)
  • Meeting by chance(萍水相逢)
  • Bumping into good luck(碰巧)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, '碰' often carries connotations of chance encounters and testing one's fortune.
  • The phrase '碰钉子' (literally 'hit a nail') metaphorically describes encountering rejection or obstacles.
  • In social contexts, '碰' can imply casual, unplanned meetings that sometimes lead to significant connections.

FAQ