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一衣带水

一衣帶水
yīyīdàishuǐ
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 separated only by a strip of water
  2. 2 close neighbors across a narrow sea
  3. 3 (fig.) a slight obstacle posing no real barrier

Examples

中日两国一衣带水，交流频繁。
Zhōng Rì liǎng guó yīyīdàishuǐ, jiāoliú pínfán.
China and Japan are separated only by a narrow strip of sea and maintain frequent exchanges.
英法两国一衣带水，却历史恩怨深厚。
Yīng Fǎ liǎng guó yīyīdàishuǐ, què lìshǐ ēnyuàn shēnhòu.
Britain and France sit across a narrow channel from each other, yet have a long, tangled history.
两岸同胞一衣带水，血脉相连。
Liǎng àn tóngbāo yīyīdàishuǐ, xuèmài xiānglián.
The compatriots on both shores are separated by just a narrow strait and bound by blood.

Tips

history
From the 《南史·陈后主纪》: Emperor Wen of Sui, preparing to invade the Chen south of the Yangtze, said "我为百姓父母，岂可一衣带水不拯之乎？" — as father and mother of the people, how can I leave them unsaved across a mere belt of water? The phrase began as a pretext for invasion; now it almost always denotes friendly closeness.
register
Diplomatic register. Standard in news headlines and speeches about neighboring countries (especially China-Japan, China-Korea, cross-strait). Positive, peace-oriented connotation in modern use.

Stroke Order

一 yī
衣 yī
带 dài
水 shuǐ