撞 zhuàng to bump into
to bump into; to run into
How to remember 撞: 扌 hand + 童 child = to bump into. Waving a hand at his friends, the child on the scooter looks back and manages to bump into a lamppost.
Component breakdown
撞 = 扌 hand + 童 child
- 扌 hand
- 童 child
- 立 stand
- 里 in
- 日 sun
- 土 earth
Waving a hand at his friends, the child on the scooter looks back and manages to bump into a lamppost.
How it is used
- 撞车 zhuàngchē "car crash" and 撞见 zhuàngjiàn "to run into someone unexpectedly" are its two most common uses.
- 碰撞 pèngzhuàng is the more formal/abstract synonym, usable for both physical collisions and clashing ideas.
- 撞 implies a forceful impact, unlike 碰 pèng which can describe a light touch or a casual encounter.