<p>Actually, the 碰 itself can mean <strong><em>to meet</em></strong>. E.g. 我们周六再碰一下吧。// let's meet again on Saturday. </p>

<p>It can form the words: 碰头, 碰见, 碰面. The dictionary definition of 碰头 is 会面；短时间地聚会(short meeting). The question 'why' in any language is hard to answer and sometimes even unanswerable. For this case, we can only imagine two people run into each other and figuratively it implies they 'meet'. Usually, 碰 happens in brief time(they bump into each other and then split immediately), which reflects that the meeting is short. That could somehow explain why 碰头 can mean "short meetings". </p>

<p>My two cents. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:04:29.867Z
>碰头 means "short meetings<  "中国队与日本队在第一轮比赛中碰头" is not a short meeting. Also, 我们周六再碰一下吧 could mean 我们周六再碰一下运气吧 --  碰 doesn't mean "to meet". 碰头  does
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:18:52.090Z
@TangHo If you look up a dictionary (either official one or any one online), you will see a definition 碰 > to meet.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:21:15.077Z
@TangHo Your example doesn't demonstrate the meaning of "short meeting". Take this: 还记得我们上次的碰头吗？
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:22:17.277Z
for 碰 to mean "meet " it has to be in a compound word like 碰見,  碰头, 碰面 or 碰到
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:24:58.433Z
Read my comment again, I stated  "is **not** a short meeting"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:25:09.700Z
@TangHo That's not correct. See this: 郭小川《茫茫大海中的一个小岛》：“既然碰上自己的战友，何不请他们把你引上山峰。” If this is still not convincing, you could easily find more examples in dictionaries or online.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:26:00.300Z
You said it. It is "既然碰上" not  "既然碰"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:36:01.917Z
@TangHo The only thing I could tell you so far is 我们回头再碰一下 is a very common sentence at least within mainland.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:38:40.703Z
Omit 面 in "我们回头再碰一下 (面)" doesn't make 碰 mean "meet"
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:41:40.287Z
@TangHo I don't think it's an omission when we say 我们回头再碰, because 我们回头再碰面 is not as natural as 我们回头再碰.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T05:59:01.147Z
2019-11-18T07:56:26.837Z
2019-11-18T07:56:26.837Z
dan
<p>Imagine two people get so close that their foreheads bump into each other. They see each other in such a close distance that there's no doubt that they have met.</p>

<p>The term 碰头 (bump heads) use this graphical description metaphysically for "meet" (their heads are not actually touching each other)</p>

<p>Similar to 携手 (hold hands) describes two people physically holding hands, but more often than not, the term is used as a metaphor for "co-operate" or "join force" (they are not actually holding hands in this case) </p>

<p>The difference between 碰头 (meet) and 見面/会面 (meet) is,  見面/会面 is always prearranged, while 碰头 can be accidental , (imagine two people walking in the street not looking ahead and run into each other by accident). </p>

<p>From this description, we know 碰头 can also mean "run into" </p>

<p>Example: </p>

<p>中国队与日本队在第一轮比赛中[<strong>碰头</strong>] (相遇)</p>

<p>Team China and Team Japan [<strong>run into</strong>] (meet)  each other in the first round </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T04:37:18.870Z
2019-11-18T04:59:09.587Z
2019-11-18T04:59:09.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>In the Chinese translation of Matilda (p. 195), we have:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“好，你把东西收拾一下，过两分钟我们在外面<strong>碰头</strong>。”<br>
  "Good.  Gather up your things and I'll meet you outside in a couple of minutes."</p>
</blockquote>

<p>and on the next page:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>亨尼小姐在校门外和玛帝尔达<strong>碰头</strong>，两人一起默默地穿过村子的大街。<br>
  Miss Honey joined Matilda outside the school gates and the two of them walked in silence through the village High Street.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I don't understand why 碰头 is used here, instead of say something like  见, 见面, or 看见.  I'm thinking it is perhaps more casual.</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong> Why use <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E7%A2%B0%E5%A4%B4" rel="nofollow noreferrer">碰头</a> to mean "meet"?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T02:48:34.790Z
I feel like I should link to this question [When to use 看 and 见？](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/8511/when-to-use-%e7%9c%8b-and-%e8%a7%81), but it doesn't address 碰头.
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T02:59:59.833Z
It is just a casual way to say meet.
魏小淇
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-18T07:03:03.547Z
看见 is not correct. you can use 见面
sylvia
<word-choice>
Why use 碰头 (pèngtóu) to mean "meet" instead of say 见, 见面, or 看见? (In e.g. 过两分钟我们在外面碰头)
# Why use 碰头 (pèngtóu) to mean "meet" instead of say 见, 见面, or 看见? (In e.g. 过两分钟我们在外面碰头)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-18)

In the Chinese translation of Matilda (p. 195), we have:

> “好，你把东西收拾一下，过两分钟我们在外面**碰头**。”  
> "Good. Gather up your things and I'll meet you outside in a couple of minutes."

and on the next page:

> 亨尼小姐在校门外和玛帝尔达**碰头**，两人一起默默地穿过村子的大街。  
> Miss Honey joined Matilda outside the school gates and the two of them walked in silence through the village High Street.

I don't understand why 碰头 is used here, instead of say something like 见, 见面, or 看见. I'm thinking it is perhaps more casual.

**Question** Why use [碰头](http://youdao.com/w/%E7%A2%B0%E5%A4%B4) to mean "meet"?

**Tags:** word-choice

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I feel like I should link to this question [When to use 看 and 见？](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/8511/when-to-use-%e7%9c%8b-and-%e8%a7%81), but it doesn't address 碰头.  
> **username_1**: It is just a casual way to say meet.  
> **username_2**: 看见 is not correct. you can use 见面  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-11-18. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Actually, the 碰 itself can mean ***to meet***. E.g. 我们周六再碰一下吧。// let's meet again on Saturday.

It can form the words: 碰头, 碰见, 碰面. The dictionary definition of 碰头 is 会面；短时间地聚会(short meeting). The question 'why' in any language is hard to answer and sometimes even unanswerable. For this case, we can only imagine two people run into each other and figuratively it implies they 'meet'. Usually, 碰 happens in brief time(they bump into each other and then split immediately), which reflects that the meeting is short. That could somehow explain why 碰头 can mean "short meetings".

My two cents.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: >碰头 means "short meetings<  "中国队与日本队在第一轮比赛中碰头" is not a short meeting. Also, 我们周六再碰一下吧 could mean 我们周六再碰一下运气吧 --  碰 doesn't mean "to meet". 碰头  does  
> **username_3**: @username_4 If you look up a dictionary (either official one or any one online), you will see a definition 碰 > to meet.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 Your example doesn't demonstrate the meaning of "short meeting". Take this: 还记得我们上次的碰头吗？  
> **username_4**: for 碰 to mean "meet " it has to be in a compound word like 碰見,  碰头, 碰面 or 碰到  
> **username_4**: Read my comment again, I stated  "is **not** a short meeting"  
> **username_3**: @username_4 That's not correct. See this: 郭小川《茫茫大海中的一个小岛》：“既然碰上自己的战友，何不请他们把你引上山峰。” If this is still not convincing, you could easily find more examples in dictionaries or online.  
> **username_4**: You said it. It is "既然碰上" not  "既然碰"  
> **username_3**: @username_4 The only thing I could tell you so far is 我们回头再碰一下 is a very common sentence at least within mainland.  
> **username_4**: Omit 面 in "我们回头再碰一下 (面)" doesn't make 碰 mean "meet"  
> **username_3**: @username_4 I don't think it's an omission when we say 我们回头再碰, because 我们回头再碰面 is not as natural as 我们回头再碰.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-11-18. Score: 0

Imagine two people get so close that their foreheads bump into each other. They see each other in such a close distance that there's no doubt that they have met.

The term 碰头 (bump heads) use this graphical description metaphysically for "meet" (their heads are not actually touching each other)

Similar to 携手 (hold hands) describes two people physically holding hands, but more often than not, the term is used as a metaphor for "co-operate" or "join force" (they are not actually holding hands in this case)

The difference between 碰头 (meet) and 見面/会面 (meet) is, 見面/会面 is always prearranged, while 碰头 can be accidental , (imagine two people walking in the street not looking ahead and run into each other by accident).

From this description, we know 碰头 can also mean "run into"

Example:

中国队与日本队在第一轮比赛中[**碰头**] (相遇)

Team China and Team Japan [**run into**] (meet) each other in the first round


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