碰钉子

• Pinyin: pèng dīng zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 碰 = 石 + 并 (stone + together — to collide); 钉 = 钅 + 丁 (metal + fourth heavenly stem — nail); 子 = noun suffix

Meaning

To meet with a rebuff; to be flatly rejected; to run into an unexpected wall (literally: to bump into a nail).

A vivid colloquial expression for being turned down bluntly or encountering stubborn resistance. Implies embarrassment or frustration. Used when making requests, seeking help, or pursuing opportunities only to be firmly refused or ignored.

Examples

1. 他去找老板要求加薪，没想到当场碰了钉子，被拒绝得相当干脆。 He went to his boss to ask for a raise, but to his surprise he was flatly turned down on the spot.
2. 这次谈判代表团在对方毫无诚意的态度下连连碰钉子，最终无功而返。 In the negotiations, the delegation kept hitting a wall because the other side showed no sincerity, and in the end they returned empty-handed.
3. 求人办事难，若方式不当，碰钉子是常有的事，更重要的是从中学会变通。 It’s hard to ask people for favors; if you go about it the wrong way, getting rebuffed is common—what matters more is learning to be flexible.

Usage Guide

Context: social rejection, negotiations, workplace, interpersonal

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 他满怀信心地去申请合作，不料对方态度冷淡，连连碰钉子，最终只能悻悻而归。(He went to apply for a partnership with full confidence, but unexpectedly met with a cold attitude and repeated rebuffs, ultimately returning in frustration.)
• 在这行做业务，碰钉子是家常便饭，关键是调整心态，从拒绝中寻找突破口。(In sales work, running into rejections is a daily occurrence; the key is to adjust your mindset and find breakthroughs within the refusals.)

Don't Say

• 我碰钉子了他的建议 — 碰钉子 is intransitive and cannot take an object; use 拒绝了他的建议 to say you rejected someone's suggestion

Origin & History

碰 (bump into) + 钉子 (nail) — like bumping headlong into a sharp nail, hitting an unexpected and painful obstacle

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal