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密友 (mì yǒu) — close friend, bosom friend

Definition

密友 (mì yǒu) is a 'close/bosom friend' — a stronger, more literary word than 朋友, implying deep trust and intimacy.

noun
close friendbosom friend
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 密友。
    Tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de mì yǒu.
    She is my best bosom friend.
  • 密友。
    Shī qù yí wèi mì yǒu ràng wǒ hěn nán guò.
    Losing a close friend made me very sad.
  • 密友。
    mì yǒu Zhī jiān de xìn rèn fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    Trust between close friends is very important.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

密mìclose/intimate
友yǒufriend

密 conveys intimacy and 友 conveys friend, together describing a close friend.

Characters in this word

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
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
宓
宓mì密mì
Same sound today

密 pairs 山 (mountain) with 宓 (mì), which gives the pronunciation, to picture something hidden in the mountains, hence secret.

Open 密 →

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

友 is drawn as two 又, the hand form, side by side. The old explanation says two hands together mean friendship.

Open 友 →
Appears in
Friends & Social

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