相见恨晚

Pronunciation: xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn Literal meaning: Meeting each other regret it was late

Origin & Usage

This idiom describes meeting (相见) and regretting (恨) it was late (晚). It expresses the feeling when connecting with someone special and wishing the relationship had begun sooner. The phrase appeared in classical literature describing profound connections between people who felt their meeting was overdue. Modern usage expresses strong affinity with someone new, suggesting the relationship feels as if it should have started long ago.

Examples

English: "The two researchers wished they had met years earlier."

Chinese: 两位研究者相见恨晚，希望能更早相识。