一墙之隔 (yī qiáng zhī gé) — (idiom) separated only by a wall; extremely close (neighbors or locations)

Definition

Literally 'separated by one wall' — an idiom for two people or places being extremely close, physically or figuratively (neighbors, rivals). Used for both literal neighbors and abstract closeness like competing companies.

idiom
separated only by a wallextremely close (neighbors or locations)

Examples

  • 一墙之隔，。
    Wǒ men hé lín jū yī qiáng zhī gé, cháng cháng hù xiāng bāng máng.
    We are separated from our neighbors by only one wall, so we often help each other.
  • 一墙之隔，。
    Zhè liǎng jiā gōng sī yī qiáng zhī gé, jìng zhēng fēi cháng jī liè.
    These two companies are right next to each other, and competition is fierce.
  • 一墙之隔。
    yī qiáng zhī gé De liǎng wèi lǎo rén měi tiān yì qǐ sàn bù.
    The two elderly people who live just one wall apart go for walks together every day.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 牆; 墙 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
嗇嗇sèwheat in a granary
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán牆qiáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 牆, 爿 gives the sound and 嗇, showing wheat in a granary, gives the wall meaning. The simplified 墙 is a later short form.

Open 墙 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fùwall
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬲
鬲gé隔gé
Same sound today

隔 puts 阝, a wall, with 鬲, which gives the sound gé, to show separating with a wall.

Open 隔 →

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