密不可分 (mì bù kě fēn) — inseparable; intimately connected

Definition

Idiom meaning two things are so tightly linked that they cannot be pulled apart — stronger than 密切相关, which only means 'closely related' and allows some separation.

idiom
inseparableintimately connected

Examples

  • 密不可分，。
    Jīng jì yǔ huán jìng de fā zhǎn shì mì bù kě fēn de, bì xū yì qǐ kǎo lǜ.
    Economic and environmental development are inseparable and must be considered together.
  • ，密不可分。
    Zài xiàn dài shè huì, jì shù hé shēng huó yǐ jīng mì bù kě fēn.
    In modern society, technology and life have become inseparable.
  • 密不可分，。
    Zhè liǎng gè wèn tí mì bù kě fēn, bù néng fēn kāi tǎo lùn.
    These two issues are inseparable and cannot be discussed separately.

Origin

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 →

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

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