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相亲相爱 (xiāng qīn xiāng ài) — (chengyu) to love each other devotedly; to be deeply attached to one another

Definition

Idiom describing people who love and care for each other deeply — usually family members or a couple. Close in meaning to 恩爱 (married couple) and 友爱 (friends/people in a group).

idiom
(chengyu) to love each other devotedlyto be deeply attached to one another

Examples

  • 相亲相爱，。
    Tā men yì jiā rén xiāng qīn xiāng ài, shēng huó fēi cháng xìng fú.
    Their family loves each other devotedly and lives very happily.
  • ，相亲相爱。
    Jié hūn èr shí nián lái, tā men yì zhí xiāng qīn xiāng ài.
    In the twenty years since they got married, they have always been deeply attached to each other.
  • 相亲相爱。
    Zhè bù diàn shì jù jiǎng shù le yí duì xiāng qīn xiāng ài de fū qī de gù shi.
    This TV series tells the story of a devotedly loving couple.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

相亲mutual closeness
相xiāngmutually亲qīnclose
偏正Modifier + head
相爱mutual love
相xiāngmutually爱àilove
偏正Modifier + head

“相亲” (mutual closeness) and “相爱” (mutual love) stand side by side.

Characters in this word

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

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 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

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 愛; 爱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
旡
旡jì愛ài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 愛, an older shape paired 心 (heart) with 旡 as its sound part; later a foot-like 夊 was added below. The simplified 爱 is a later variant that replaces the lower part with 友.

Open 爱 →
Appears in
Family & KinshipIdioms & Set Phrases

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