冤家

yuānjiā
noun #19,165

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 enemy; foe
  2. 2 destined lover; sweetheart (in opera/literature)

Examples

Bú shì yuānjiā bù jùtóu.
Enemies are destined to meet. / Fated lovers always cross paths.
Tāmen liǎ shì huānxǐ yuānjiā.
Those two are a bickering couple (who secretly love each other).
Yuānjiā lù zhǎi, yòu pèngdào tā le.
Enemies always meet on a narrow road — I ran into him again.

Tips

culture
冤家 has a famous double meaning: it can mean 'enemy/foe' or 'destined lover' (especially in opera and classical literature). The phrase 欢喜冤家 describes a couple who constantly bicker but are deeply in love.
memory
(injustice) + (family/person) — someone you have grievances with, or paradoxically, the one you're fated to be with.

Stroke Order

yuān
jiā