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良师益友 (liáng shī yì yǒu) — good teacher and helpful friend; mentor and friend (a person who both teaches and supports you)

Definition

A set phrase praising someone who is both a good teacher and a true friend — a mentor who guides and supports you. It can describe a person or a book/author, and is used in formal, written contexts.

idiom
good teacher and helpful friendmentor and friend (a person who both teaches and supports you)

Examples

  • 良师益友。
    Wáng jiào shòu shì wǒ xué shù shàng de liáng shī yì yǒu.
    Professor Wang is my academic mentor and friend.
  • ，良师益友。
    Tā bù jǐn shì wǒ de lǐng dǎo, gèng shì wǒ de liáng shī yì yǒu.
    He is not only my boss but also my good teacher and helpful friend.
  • 良师益友。
    Zhè běn shū de zuò zhě kān chēng dú zhě de liáng shī yì yǒu.
    The author of this book can be called a mentor and friend to readers.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

良师
良liánggood师shīteacher
偏正Modifier + head
益友
益yìhelpful友yǒufriend
偏正Modifier + head

“良” (good) and “益” (helpful) go with “师” (teacher) and “友” (friend) to mean a good teacher and helpful friend.

Characters in this word

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

良 possibly depicts corridors and a room.

Open 良 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 師; 师 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤
  • 帀帀zā

The traditional form 師 combines 𠂤 and 帀; the simplified 师 is not the form explained here.

Open 师 →

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

益 puts 水 (water) above 皿 (a vessel), originally showing water overflowing the vessel.

Open 益 →

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 & SocialIdioms & Set Phrases

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