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.]

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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.]

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?

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): píngshuǐxiāngféng

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄈㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ping⁴ seoi² soeng¹ fung⁴

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• 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/
• 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/

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• Middle Chinese: beng sywijX sjang bjowng

Rime
Character	萍	水	相	逢
Reading #	1/1	1/1	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	並 (3)	書 (26)	心 (16)	並 (3)
Final (韻)	青 (125)	脂 (18)	陽 (105)	鍾 (7)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	III	III	III
Fanqie	薄經切	式軌切	息良切	符容切
Baxter	beng	sywijX	sjang	bjowng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/beŋ/	/ɕˠiuɪX/	/sɨɐŋ/	/bɨoŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/beŋ/	/ɕʷᵚiX/	/siɐŋ/	/bioŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/bɛŋ/	/ɕiuɪX/	/siɑŋ/	/bioŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/bɛjŋ/	/ɕjwiX/	/sɨaŋ/	/buawŋ/
Li Rong	/beŋ/	/ɕjuiX/	/siaŋ/	/bioŋ/
Wang Li	/bieŋ/	/ɕwiX/	/sĭaŋ/	/bĭwoŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/bʱieŋ/	/ɕwiX/	/si̯aŋ/	/bʱi̯woŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	píng	shuǐ	xiāng	féng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ping4	seoi2	soeng1	fung4

Idiom

萍水相逢

1. to meet by chance