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碰 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
碰pèngold variant of 碰[pèng]HSK 5, v, 13 strokes, radical 石, rank #774, Medium
碰pèngto touch; to meet with; to collide, to bump intoHSK 5, v, 13 strokes, radical 石, rank #774, Medium
碰pèngto bumpHSK 5, unknown, 13 strokes, radical 石, rank #774, Medium
pèng(peng4) T4
  1. 1old variant of 碰[pèng]
  2. 2to touch; to meet with; to collide, to bump into
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March 24, 2026
碰(掽)pèng(peng4)

碰 (pèng) means 'to touch' or 'to collide.' It is commonly used in contexts where people or objects come into contact with each other, such as bumping into someone or something. The word can also imply a chance encounter or meeting.

Strokes13Radical石Frequency#774DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, casual encounters are often viewed positively, and the term 碰 can imply serendipity in meeting someone unexpectedly, reflecting the value placed on social connections.

Memory Tip

Think of '碰' as a friendly 'ping' when two people or objects meet. The left side (扌) represents 'hand,' suggesting touch, while the right side (碰) relates to the sound of something colliding, like a friendly bump.

Meanings of 碰

pèng(peng4)
1to touch; to meet with; to collide, to bump into
2to bump
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 碰

碰Simplified
掽Traditional
13Strokes
石Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#774Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 碰

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Podcast: 碰

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AI Study Notes for 碰

Quick Contrast

碰 (pèng) vs 撞 (zhuàng) — use 碰 for light contact or accidental touch, while 撞 indicates a forceful collision.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of '碰' as a friendly 'ping' when two people or objects meet. The left side (扌) represents 'hand,' suggesting touch, while the right side (碰) relates to the sound of something colliding, like a friendly bump.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 碰 with other similar-sounding words, as context is vital for proper usage. This term is informal and often used in conversational settings. Common collocations include 碰见 (pèngjiàn - to meet) and 碰撞 (pèngzhuàng - to collide).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 碰 connects with other verbs related to movement or contact like 走 (zǒu - to walk) and 跑 (pǎo - to run). Focus on using it in sentences about interactions or encounters to solidify your understanding.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, casual encounters are often viewed positively, and the term 碰 can imply serendipity in meeting someone unexpectedly, reflecting the value placed on social connections.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 碰 with similar verbs like 见 (jiàn - to see), leading to incorrect phrases like '我碰他' (Wǒ pèng tā - I touch him) instead of '我见他' (Wǒ jiàn tā - I see him). Remember, 碰 focuses on the action of collision or touching.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 碰

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Etymology of 碰

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 石 represents the meaning and 並 represents the sound. Simplified form of 掽.

Memory Hint

rock

Semantic (meaning)石
+
Phonetic (sound)並
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 碰?

Decomposition of 碰

IDS Structure⿰石並
碰Full Character
=
石dan4
left
並bing4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 碰?

Write 碰

碰

Practice writing 碰 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 碰

碰 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons3
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

别____，我一手油呢。

Don't touch me — my hands are covered in oil.

Example Sentences for 碰 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
是迥然不同的观点之间的碰撞改变了人们的看法。

shì jiǒng rán bù tóng de guān diǎn zhī jiān de pèng zhuàng gǎi biàn le rén mén de kàn fǎ。

It's the collision of disparate ideas that alters one's perspective.
2
我们在村里偶然碰见了一些老朋友。

wǒ mén zài cūn lǐ ǒu rán pèng jiàn le yī xiē lǎo péng yǒu。

We ran across some old friends in the village.
3
我们在希尔顿酒店的酒吧间碰头吧。

wǒ mén zài xī ěr dùn jiǔ diàn de jiǔ bā jiān pèng tóu bā。

Let's meet in the cocktail lounge at the Hilton.
4
玫瑰花上都有刺，不过只要小心就碰不到。

méi guī huā shàng dū yǒu cì， ， bù guò zhī yào xiǎo xīn jiù pèng bù。

Roses will always have thorns but with care they can be avoided.
5
安娜与几个建筑商有过接洽，并且很幸运地碰到了埃迪。

ān nà yǔ jī gè jiàn zhù shāng yǒu guò jiē qià， ， bìng qiě hěn xìng yùn dì pèng dào le āi。

Anna approached several builders and was fortunate to come across Eddie.
6
如果你碰巧能和他说话，让他给我打个电话。

rú guǒ nǐ pèng qiǎo néng hé tā shuō huà， ， ràng tā gěi wǒ dǎ gè diàn。

If you happen to talk to him, have him call me.
7
让人感到惊奇的是，板球碰巧也是我最喜欢的运动。

ràng rén gǎn dào jīng qí de shì， ， bǎn qiú pèng qiǎo yě shì wǒ zuì xǐ huān de yùn。

By a curious twist of fate, cricket was also my favourite sport.
8
他们碰见她独自一人神色忧郁地走在海滩上。

tā mén pèng jiàn tā dú zì yī rén shén sè yōu yù dì zǒu zài hǎi tān shàng。

They found her walking alone and depressed on the beach.
9
警方称他们像往常一样碰了壁，没人吭气。

jǐng fāng chēng tā mén xiàng wǎng cháng yī yàng pèng le bì， ， méi rén háng。

The police say they met the usual wall of silence.
10
有一颗小行星可能会与地球发生碰撞。

yǒu yī kē xiǎo háng xīng kě néng huì yǔ dì qiú fā shēng pèng zhuàng。

There is an asteroid on a collision course with the Earth.

Cultural Notes for 碰

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, casual encounters are often viewed positively, and the term 碰 can imply serendipity in meeting someone unexpectedly, reflecting the value placed on social connections.

Word Family of 碰

Words Containing This Character18
碰pèngto touch
碰到pèngdàoto come across
碰撞pèngzhuàngto collide
碰上pèngshàngto run into
碰巧pèngqiǎoby chance
碰见pèngjiànto run into碰見
碰头to meet碰頭
碰面to meet
触碰to touch觸碰
碰壁to hit a wall
硬碰硬painstaking
碰碰车bumper car碰碰車
碰运气to try one's luck碰運氣
碰瓷(coll.) to scam sb by setting up an "accident" in which one appears to have sustained damage or injury caused by the scam victim, then demanding compensation (variations include putting "expensive" porcelain in a place where it is likely to be knocked ove
磕碰to knock against
碰钉子pèngdīngzito meet with a rebuff碰釘子
碰击to knock against碰擊
碰一鼻子灰lit. to have one's nose rubbed in the dirt
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 碰 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 碰

碰 (pèng) and 撞 (zhuàng) both refer to physical contact but have different connotations. 碰 implies a lighter touch or bump, while 撞 suggests a more forceful collision. Understanding these nuances can help learners choose the right word in context.