比翼双飞
bǐ yì shuāng fēi
to fly wing to wing: a devoted couple who stay together and do well together
Character by character
比bǐ
side by side
side by side
翼yì
wing
wing
双shuāng
pair
pair
飞fēi
fly
fly
Example
婚礼上，朋友们祝这对新人比翼双飞，白头到老。
At the wedding their friends wished the couple a life side by side until they were old and grey.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
A wedding wish, and a phrase for couples who share a career: 夫妻比翼双飞. It recalls the legendary 比翼鸟, birds with one wing each that could fly only in pairs, as in 白居易’s line 在天愿作比翼鸟.
Learn this in Lesson 168 · HSK 7–9: 鄱阳湖的候鸟 (The winter birds of Poyang Lake)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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