相知恨晚 Xiāng zhī hèn wǎn regret knowing each other late

Explanation

形容对新结识的朋友十分投合，彼此欣赏，惋惜认识得太晚。

Describes how well one gets along with a newly acquainted friend and regrets not having known them sooner.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，两位才华横溢的诗人，李白和杜甫，在长安相遇。他们诗歌风格迥异，却都对彼此的才华赞赏有加。他们促膝长谈，畅谈诗歌创作，对人生理想，对时局的看法，竟惊人的相似。二人相谈甚欢，恨相识太晚，遂结为莫逆之交，留下千古佳话。

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, liǎng wèi cái huá héng yì de shī rén, lǐ bái hé dù fǔ, zài cháng ān xiāng yù. tāmen shī gē fēng gé jiǒng yì, què dōu duì bǐ cǐ de cái huá zàn shǎng yǒu jiā. tāmen cù xī cháng tán, chàng tán shī gē chuàng zuò, duì rén shēng lǐ xiǎng, duì shí jú de kàn fǎ, jìng jīng rén de xiāng sì. èr rén xiāng tán shèn huān, hèn xiāng shí tài wǎn, suì jié wéi mò nì zhī jiāo, liú xià qiān gǔ jiā huà

It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, two talented poets, Li Bai and Du Fu, met in Chang'an. Their poetic styles were quite different, yet they both greatly admired each other's talent. They spent hours talking, discussing poetry, their ideals in life, and their perspectives on the political situation, and were surprisingly similar in their views. They got along wonderfully and regretted not knowing each other sooner. They became close friends and left behind a legendary story.

Usage

多用于形容对新结识的朋友十分欣赏，彼此投缘。

duō yòng yú xíngróng duì xīn jié shí de péngyǒu shífēn xīnshǎng, bǐ cǐ tóuyúan

Often used to express that one greatly appreciates a newly acquainted friend and gets along well with them.

Examples

• 他俩一见如故，相见恨晚。

  tā liǎ yī jiàn rú gù, xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn

  They hit it off immediately and regretted not knowing each other sooner.

• 我和他真是相见恨晚，早该认识了！

  wǒ hé tā zhēnshi xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn, zǎo gāi rènshi le

  I really regret not meeting him earlier; we should have gotten to know each other much better!

Related Idioms

• 一见如故

• 相见恨晚

Opposite Idioms

• 相见不相识

• 相识恨早