This means that people who have intense conflicts with each other are often destined to cross paths repeatedly, as if by fate. It can also be used playfully to describe a couple who bickers constantly but is clearly meant to be together.
The concept of 'yuān jia' (冤家) combines the idea of a foe and a lover — someone with whom you have a karmic entanglement. In Chinese literature and opera, this is a common trope.
This saying helps Chinese people make sense of persistent, unavoidable conflicts by attributing them to fate rather than personal failure. It signals a philosophical acceptance of difficult relationships and even finds humor in them.
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