Never the twain shall meet Meaning in English

expression

US

NEV-er thuh TWAYN shal MEET

UK

NEV-uh thuh TWAYN shal MEET

Definition

This expression means that two things or people are so different or separate that they will never come together or agree.

Usage & Nuances

Somewhat formal, literary, or poetic; often describes cultural, ideological, or personality opposites. Not literal—it doesn't mean physical meeting, but complete difference. Used for strong contrasts, not mere disagreements.

• Spanish: nunca se encontrarán - son totalmente opuestos
• Portuguese (BR): nunca se encontrarão - são totalmente opostos
• Portuguese (PT): nunca se encontrarão - são totalmente opostos
• Chinese (Simplified): 永不相遇 - 永远不会融合
• Chinese (Traditional): 永不相遇 - 永遠不會融合
• Hindi: दोनों कभी नहीं मिलेंगे
• Arabic: لا يلتقيان أبدًا - مستحيل أن يجتمعا
• Bengali: এই দুটি কখনো একত্র হবে না - সম্পূর্ণ বিপরীত
• Russian: никогда не встретятся - абсолютно несовместимы
• Japanese: 決して交わらない
• Vietnamese: không bao giờ hợp lại - hoàn toàn đối lập
• Korean: 결코 만날 수 없다 - 완전히 다르다
• Turkish: asla bir araya gelmez
• Urdu: یہ دونوں کبھی نہیں ملیں گے
• Indonesian: tidak akan pernah bertemu - benar-benar berbeda

Example Sentences

For cats and dogs, it often seems that never the twain shall meet.

basic

North and south in this country are so different that never the twain shall meet.

basic

He loves sports, she loves reading—never the twain shall meet.

basic

Oil and water? Never the twain shall meet.

natural

Tech geeks and artists in our office—let's just say never the twain shall meet.

natural

We've tried mixing those two styles, but honestly, never the twain shall meet.

natural