世交 (shì jiāo) — family friendship that spans multiple generations; old family tie

Definition

A long-standing family friendship that spans generations, distinct from ordinary 朋友. Often used to describe two families (两家是世交) whose bond goes back generations.

noun
family friendship that spans multiple generationsold family tie
Easily confused

Examples

  • 世交。
    Wǒ men liǎng jiā shì shì jiāo.
    Our two families have been friends for generations.
  • ，世交。
    Tā men cóng xiǎo jiù rèn shi, yīn wèi liǎng jiā shì shì jiāo.
    They've known each other since childhood because their families have a generational friendship.
  • 世交，。
    Zhè duàn shì jiāo lái zhī bú yì, wǒ men yīng gāi hǎo hǎo zhēn xī.
    This generational friendship was hard-won, and we should treasure it.

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.

世shìgenerations
交jiāofriendship

世 generations and 交 friendship combine for a tie lasting across generations.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 世 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

交 originally drew a human with crossed legs. In the modern shape, the upper part resembles a standing person.

Open 交 →

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