相见恨晚 — “To regret not having met someone sooner”
相见恨晚 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to regret not having met someone sooner”. To feel an immediate rapport and profound connection upon meeting, as if having known each other for a long time. Literally, “Regret meeting too late”.
相见恨晚 Pronunciation and Pinyin
相见恨晚 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 相见恨晚
Origin and Story of 相见恨晚
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Zhu Fuyan, a learned and talented man from the state of Qi, traveled among various feudal lords but failed to gain employment.
In his impoverished state, he finally submitted a memorial to Emperor Wu, who recognized and appreciated his abilities. Emperor Wu then summoned Zhu Fuyan along with Xu Le and Yan An for a discussion.
Emperor Wu felt a strong sense of 'regretting not having met sooner' with Zhu Fuyan, who subsequently suggested implementing the 'Decree of Graciousness' (Tui En Ling) to strengthen the emperor's power.
Idioms Related to 相见恨晚
Synonyms of 相见恨晚
Antonyms of 相见恨晚
More idioms starting with 相
- xiāng相yǔ与yī一kǒu口collude and speak with one accord
- xiāng相yǔ与wéi为yī一merge into one
- xiāng相yǔ与wèi为mìng命depend on each other for survival
- xiāng相wèi为biǎo表lǐ里interdependent as exterior and interior
- xiāng相xí习chéng成sú俗mutual practice forms custom
- xiāng相xí习chéng成fēng风habits form a custom
- xiāng相hù互zūn尊zhòng重show mutual respect
- xiāng相jiāo交yǒu有nián年long-standing friendship
- xiāng相qīn亲xiāng相ài爱love and cherish each other deeply
- xiāng相qīn亲xiāng相jìn近mutually affectionate and intimate
- xiāng相fǎng仿xiāng相xiào效imitate and emulate each other
- xiàng相tǐ体cái裁yī衣tailor to fit the situation
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Open the tool →Questions about 相见恨晚
What does 相见恨晚 mean?
相见恨晚 (xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to regret not having met someone sooner”.
How do you pronounce 相见恨晚?
相见恨晚 is pronounced xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 相见恨晚 literally mean?
Literally, 相见恨晚 means “Regret meeting too late”. It is used to mean “to regret not having met someone sooner”.
Where does 相见恨晚 come from?
相见恨晚 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 相见恨晚?
只恨相见得太晚。形容一见如故，意气极其相投。