相见时难别亦难

相見時難別亦難

xiāngjiànshínánbiéyìnán

phrase

Meanings

1 meeting is hard, and parting is hard too
2 lovers' meetings are rare, but goodbyes break the heart
3 (lit.) the time of meeting is difficult, parting is also difficult

Characters

Examples

异地恋的人最懂相见时难别亦难的滋味。

Yìdì liàn de rén zuì dǒng xiāngjiàn shí nán bié yì nán de zīwèi.

Long-distance couples understand best the taste of 'meeting is hard, parting too is hard.'

送别老友，相见时难别亦难，格外不舍。

Sòngbié lǎoyǒu, xiāngjiàn shí nán bié yì nán, géwài bùshě.

Seeing off an old friend — meetings are hard, partings too — especially hard to let go.

Tips

history

Opening line of Li Shangyin's (李商隐, Late Tang) 《无题·相见时难别亦难》: 相见时难别亦难，东风无力百花残。春蚕到死丝方尽，蜡炬成灰泪始干。(Meeting is hard, parting too; the east wind is feeble, a hundred flowers wither. Silkworms spin thread till death; candles weep until they're ash.) The following couplet 春蚕到死丝方尽 is one of Chinese poetry's most famous metaphors for undying love.

Stroke Order

相 xiāng

见 jiàn

时 shí

难 nán

别 bié

亦 yì