<ol>
<li><p><code>觸</code> is very rarely used alone in modern Chinese. <code>碰</code> however, is, and in fact frequently so. You see it in <code>別碰！</code> (Do not touch!), for example.</p>
</li>
<li><p><code>觸碰</code> is far more common than <code>碰觸</code> albeit meaning exactly the same.</p>
</li>
<li><p><code>觸碰</code> is more written than <code>碰</code>. So you see signs written like <code>請勿觸碰</code> ('Please do not touch'), but never <code>*請勿碰</code>.</p>
</li>
<li><p><code>碰</code> is also polysemous, so if you intend the meaning 'to come across sb.', as in <code>我碰到他</code> (where I intend to mean 'I came across him' here; it also can mean 'I touched him'), you should not write it as <code>我觸碰到他</code>, which can only literally mean 'I touched him' (also more written).</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-27T08:26:18.250Z
我碰到他。 In this sentence can 碰 be replaced with 遇/逢？
jinglingmen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-27T08:28:04.843Z
@jinglingmen 遇 yes, 逢 no. 碰到 is slightly more unexpected than 遇到.
L Parker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-27T08:59:06.653Z
Note it is idiomatic to say 與+sb.+相逢, as in 我與他相逢 (very literary). But never *逢到.
L Parker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-27T11:52:12.000Z
Can this 相逢 be replaced with 相遇?
jinglingmen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-27T12:03:09.980Z
@jinglingmen yes! In fact 相遇 is much more common than 相逢.
L Parker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-27T01:45:36.260Z
2021-04-27T03:09:15.203Z
2021-04-27T03:09:15.203Z
L Parker
<p>I find 触 to be used if there was intention to touch, like in 触及 and 触摸. 触 is used in general for the sense of touch, often done with intention and the contact from touch is longer. 触 has horn 角 as the meaning component. A bull headbutts with its horns on purpose.</p>
<p>For 碰 the &quot;bumping&quot; is often coincidental or accidental, and the &quot;touch&quot; often is just like a bump, the contact from touch is not long or continuous. When you &quot;bump into somebody&quot; at a shop for example, you didn't have plans to purposely meet that someone at the shop. I don't think anyone would 碰头 bump their head on purpose! 碰 has stone 石 as the meaning component. When a stone is rolling it cannot control where it wants to roll and hit.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-28T15:11:47.223Z
What does 触 of 触电 mean?
jinglingmen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-29T09:43:31.487Z
触电 is electrocution, usually from touch. You touch long enough to get a shock. There is also 碰电, which means short circuit, possibly because of wires accidentally touching each other causing the short circuit.
Fishuman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-29T10:25:41.810Z
intention to touch?
jinglingmen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-29T13:20:01.223Z
In this context is the very act of touching and how long is the contact. I will rephrase my earlier answer
Fishuman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-29T14:48:11.343Z
触 indeed appears most often as an intended action. However, I still believe 碰 can be either intended or not.
jinglingmen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-27T15:11:57.250Z
2021-04-29T13:22:00.860Z
2021-04-29T13:22:00.860Z
Fishuman
<p>difference between 碰，触，碰触 and 触碰？The dictionary differences are not clear.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-30T05:53:47.540Z
There is no reason why sometimes Chinese use one charactor or sometimes two charactors to represent the same things, all due to habits or only for sounding well. You may say 别碰, 别摸, 请勿触碰, 请勿触摸 but not 请勿碰, 请勿摸. for example: generally, the word 别... follows with a word of single characters, while 请勿... follows a word of double charactors. if you break the rule, people may think that sound strange.
xenophōn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-30T06:01:58.047Z
You should known that in Chinese sometimes the two characters from a word have the same meaning. Due to historical reasons, only the one of two characters is used in some cases, and also the whole word must be used in some other cases.
xenophōn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-30T06:58:46.700Z
thank you for the clear explanation
jinglingmen
<mandarin>
What is the difference between 碰，触，碰触 and 触碰
# What is the difference between 碰，触，碰触 and 触碰

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-27)

difference between 碰，触，碰触 and 触碰？The dictionary differences are not clear.

Thanks!

**Tags:** mandarin
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There is no reason why sometimes Chinese use one charactor or sometimes two charactors to represent the same things, all due to habits or only for sounding well. You may say 别碰, 别摸, 请勿触碰, 请勿触摸 but not 请勿碰, 请勿摸. for example: generally, the word 别... follows with a word of single characters, while 请勿... follows a word of double charactors. if you break the rule, people may think that sound strange.  
> **username_1**: You should known that in Chinese sometimes the two characters from a word have the same meaning. Due to historical reasons, only the one of two characters is used in some cases, and also the whole word must be used in some other cases.  
> **username_0**: thank you for the clear explanation  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-04-27. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

1. `觸` is very rarely used alone in modern Chinese. `碰` however, is, and in fact frequently so. You see it in `別碰！` (Do not touch!), for example.
2. `觸碰` is far more common than `碰觸` albeit meaning exactly the same.
3. `觸碰` is more written than `碰`. So you see signs written like `請勿觸碰` ('Please do not touch'), but never `*請勿碰`.
4. `碰` is also polysemous, so if you intend the meaning 'to come across sb.', as in `我碰到他` (where I intend to mean 'I came across him' here; it also can mean 'I touched him'), you should not write it as `我觸碰到他`, which can only literally mean 'I touched him' (also more written).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 我碰到他。 In this sentence can 碰 be replaced with 遇/逢？  
> **username_2**: @jinglingmen 遇 yes, 逢 no. 碰到 is slightly more unexpected than 遇到.  
> **username_2**: Note it is idiomatic to say 與+sb.+相逢, as in 我與他相逢 (very literary). But never *逢到.  
> **username_0**: Can this 相逢 be replaced with 相遇?  
> **username_2**: @jinglingmen yes! In fact 相遇 is much more common than 相逢.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-04-27. Score: 0

I find 触 to be used if there was intention to touch, like in 触及 and 触摸. 触 is used in general for the sense of touch, often done with intention and the contact from touch is longer. 触 has horn 角 as the meaning component. A bull headbutts with its horns on purpose.

For 碰 the "bumping" is often coincidental or accidental, and the "touch" often is just like a bump, the contact from touch is not long or continuous. When you "bump into somebody" at a shop for example, you didn't have plans to purposely meet that someone at the shop. I don't think anyone would 碰头 bump their head on purpose! 碰 has stone 石 as the meaning component. When a stone is rolling it cannot control where it wants to roll and hit.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: What does 触 of 触电 mean?  
> **username_3**: 触电 is electrocution, usually from touch. You touch long enough to get a shock. There is also 碰电, which means short circuit, possibly because of wires accidentally touching each other causing the short circuit.  
> **username_0**: intention to touch?  
> **username_3**: In this context is the very act of touching and how long is the contact. I will rephrase my earlier answer  
> **username_0**: 触 indeed appears most often as an intended action. However, I still believe 碰 can be either intended or not.  

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