tương phùng
Definition
- Verb:
- To meet (again) by happy chance; to have a fortunate or unexpected reunion: This term describes a joyful, often serendipitous, encounter between people, typically after a long separation or under unlikely circumstances. It carries a strong connotation of happy fate and emotional warmth.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Sau mười năm xa cách, cuộc tương phùng của họ thật cảm động. (After ten years apart, their reunion was truly moving.)
- Giữa chốn đông người mà được tương phùng, thật là duyên số. (To meet by chance in a crowded place is truly fate.)
Advanced Usage
- This word is considered literary and somewhat archaic. It is used more in formal writing, poetry, or to convey deep sentiment rather than in everyday conversation about casual meetings.
- It often implies a meaningful connection between the people meeting, such as old friends, family members, or destined lovers.
Variants and Related Words
- Gặp gỡ (v): to meet, to encounter. This is the common, neutral term for "to meet."
- Họ hẹn nhau gặp gỡ vào cuối tuần. (They arranged to meet at the weekend.)
- Hội ngộ (v): to reunite, to gather together. This also implies a reunion, often planned or expected, and can be used for groups.
- Buổi hội ngộ cựu học sinh đầy ắp kỷ niệm. (The alumni reunion was full of memories.)
Synonyms
- Reunite (happily): To come together again.
- Encounter (fortuitously): To meet unexpectedly, especially by chance.
- Cross paths (under fortunate circumstances): To meet someone by accident.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Hạnh ngộ: A respectful and polite term for "the pleasure of meeting you," often used in formal introductions or letters. While tương phùng describes the event of meeting, hạnh ngộ expresses the honor or pleasure derived from it.
- Tương phùng tương ngộ: An extended, poetic phrase emphasizing the cycle of meeting and parting in life, often conveying a sense of destined connections.