狭路相逢

狹路相逢
xiálùxiāngféng
idiom #40,733

Meanings

  1. 1 to meet face to face on a narrow path
  2. 2 (of enemies or rivals) to come face to face with no room to avoid each other

Examples

Liǎng zhī lǎo duìshǒu zài juésài zhōng xiálùxiāngféng.
The two old rivals came face to face in the final.
Xiálùxiāngféng yǒngzhě shèng, guānjiàn shíkè jiùyào gǎn pīn.
When rivals meet on a narrow path, the brave one wins — at critical moments you have to dare to fight.
Méi xiǎngdào zài zhè jiā xiǎo cānguǎn hé qián lǎobǎn xiálùxiāngféng.
I never expected to run into my old boss in this little restaurant.

Tips

culture
The fuller saying 狭路相逢 (when rivals meet, the brave one wins) is widely quoted in sports, business, and military contexts.
history
From the Han-dynasty poem 《相逢》: 相逢不容 — meeting on a road too narrow even for a cart to pass.

Stroke Order

xiá
xiāng
féng