Definition
This four-character idiom literally means 'to meet on a narrow path' — a situation where two opponents or rivals encounter each other and a confrontation is unavoidable. It's used when two parties with a grudge or opposing interests run into each other, often in a dramatic or tense context. Unlike English 'meet head-on', the Chinese phrase carries the nuance that neither side can easily back down.
idiom
to come into unavoidable confrontationto meet head-on (of adversaries)
Examples
- 狭路相逢,。Tāmen liǎ xiá lù xiāng, yì chǎng zhēngchǎo bùkě bìmiǎn.When the two of them met on a narrow path, a quarrel was unavoidable.
- ,狭路相逢,。Zài shāngchǎng shàng, liǎng jiā gōngsī xiá lù xiāng, jìngzhēng shífēn jīliè.In the business world, the two companies met head-on, and the competition was fierce.
- 狭路相逢,。Chóurén xiá lù xiāng, fènwài yǎn hóng.When enemies meet on a narrow path, their eyes burn with extra hatred.
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