HSK · Level 113
45 words
Chinese word
形影不离
Pronunciation
Pinyinxíng yǐng bù lí
Meaning
- idiominseparable
Example
他们从小就是形影不离。tā men cóng xiǎo jiù shì xíng yǐng bù lí
They have been inseparable since they were little.
More examples
这对情侣无论去哪儿都形影不离。zhè duì qíng lǚ wú lùn qù nǎr dōu xíng yǐng bù lí
This couple stays inseparable wherever they go.
Core concept
A person and their shadow move together so closely that separation seems impossible.
Common phrases
情侣形影不离qíng lǚ xíng yǐng bù lí
lovers who are inseparable
两人形影不离liǎng rén xíng yǐng bù lí
two people who are inseparable
父子形影不离fù zǐ xíng yǐng bù lí
a father and son who are inseparable
Similar words
形影相随xíng yǐng xiāng suí: Describes people who stay together wherever they go, following each other like a shadow.
亲如手足qīn rú shǒu zú: Describes people whose bond is as close as that between siblings.
不离不弃bù lí bú qì: Describes standing by someone and never abandoning or giving up on them.
亲密无间qīn mì wú jiàn: Describes a relationship with no emotional distance, where people are completely open and close.
Definition in Chinese
形容两人或多人的关系极其亲密，像形体和影子一样密不可分。xíng róng liǎng rén huò duō rén de guān xì jí qí qīn mì xiàng xíng tǐ hé yǐng zi yí yàng mì bù kě fēn
Word origin
The idiom combines 形 (xíng, "form"), 影 (yǐng, "shadow"), 不 (bù, "not"), and 离 (lí, "separate"), using the natural link between a form and its shadow to describe people who cannot be parted.
Usage tips
- In everyday conversation, it most often describes friends, relatives, or partners who are nearly always together, and it usually focuses on people rather than an abstract relationship.
Other meanings
- closely bondedidiom
Opposites
- 形同陌路xíng tóng mò lùbe like strangersidiom
- 不相往来bù xiāng wǎng láinot communicate with each otheridiom