辅车相依 — “Cheekbone and jawbone depend on each other”
辅车相依 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Closely related and interdependent, where one cannot exist or thrive without the other; mutually reliant”. Literally, “Cheekbone and jawbone depend on each other”.
辅车相依 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 辅fǔ
- 车chē
- 相xiāng
- 依yī
辅车相依 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 辅车相依
Origin and Story of 辅车相依
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Jin planned to attack the State of Guo. Duke Jin adopted the suggestion of his general, Xun Xi, who advised offering precious jade and fine horses to the Duke of Yu in exchange for passage through Yu's territory to attack Guo. The Duke of Yu, disregarding the advice of his minister Gong Zhiqi, who argued that neighboring states are 'as interdependent as the cheekbone and the jawbone' (辅车相依) and that 'when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' (唇亡齿寒), allowed Jin to pass.
As a result, after Jin conquered Guo, it attacked and annihilated Yu three years later, reclaiming all its treasures.
Idioms Related to 辅车相依
Antonyms of 辅车相依
Questions about 辅车相依
- What does 辅车相依 mean?
- 辅车相依 (fǔ chē xiāng yī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Closely related and interdependent, where one cannot exist or thrive without the other; mutually reliant”.
- How do you pronounce 辅车相依?
- 辅车相依 is pronounced fǔ chē xiāng yī in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 辅车相依 literally mean?
- Literally, 辅车相依 means “Cheekbone and jawbone depend on each other”. It is used to mean “Closely related and interdependent, where one cannot exist or thrive without the other; mutually reliant”.
- Where does 辅车相依 come from?
- 辅车相依 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 辅车相依?
- 辅：颊骨；车：齿床。颊骨和齿床互相依靠。比喻两者关系密切，互相依存。