碰钉子
pèng dīng zi · HSK 7
to meet with a rebuff
📌 碰 bump + 钉子 nail = bump into a nail = get rebuffed
碰 (pèng) means to bump or knock against; 钉子 (dīng zi) is a nail. Bumping into a sharp nail is the idiom for hitting a hard no — being turned down or snubbed.
碰 — stone 石 + together 並
A semantic-phonetic compound: 石 (stone) gives the meaning of hard objects striking, while 並 (bìng, 'together/side by side') hints at the sound and the idea of two things meeting. Originally describing stones knocking together, it broadened to mean 'bump into,' 'collide,' or 'encounter by chance.'
钉 — metal radical 钅 + 丁
Originally 丁 alone depicted a nail head viewed from above, a pictograph of a nail. As 丁 took on other meanings, the metal radical 钅 was added to specify the metal object, giving 钉 'nail.' 丁 also supplies the sound (dīng/dìng).
子 — pictograph of a baby/child with arms out
子 began as a pictograph of a swaddled infant with a large head and outstretched arms, originally meaning 'baby' or 'child.' From there it broadened to 'son,' 'offspring,' and a respectful suffix for masters like 孔子 (Confucius). It also became one of the twelve earthly branches.