Meaning
撞见 means to encounter someone or witness something unexpectedly or by accident. It combines 撞 (to collide, bump) with 见 (to see), creating the sense of 'bumping into seeing' someone. This word emphasizes the unplanned, coincidental nature of the meeting or discovery.
Usage
撞见 is commonly used in spoken and written Chinese to describe chance encounters, especially when you weren't looking for the person or expecting to see them. It often carries a sense of surprise or awkwardness, particularly when witnessing something private or unexpected. It's more colloquial than formal alternatives like 偶遇.
Examples
- 01我昨天在超市撞见了我的前女友。.I ran into my ex-girlfriend at the supermarket yesterday.
- 02他做坏事的时候被老师撞见了。.He was caught by the teacher while doing something bad.
Characters
Common collocations
- 撞见某人to run into someone
- 被撞见to be caught (in the act)
- 恰好撞见to happen to run into
Antonyms
Origin
The word literally means 'to collide with seeing,' combining the physical sense of bumping (撞) with the act of seeing (见) to express an accidental encounter.