忘形交

wàngxíngjiāo

idiom

Meanings

1 form-forgetting friendship
2 intimate friendship that ignores status and formalities
3 friends so close that appearances don't matter

Characters

form, appearance

Examples

HSK 7-9

韩愈与孟郊一见如故，结为忘形交。

Hán Yù yǔ Mèng Jiāo yíjiàn-rúgù, jiéwéi wàngxíngjiāo.

Han Yu and Meng Jiao clicked instantly and became friends beyond formalities.

HSK 7-9

他们是忘形交，从不讲究客套。

Tāmen shì wàngxíngjiāo, cóngbù jiǎngjiu kètào.

They're the kind of friends who never bother with polite niceties.

Tips

history

From 《新唐书·孟郊传》: on meeting the poet Meng Jiao for the first time, Han Yu immediately treated him as a 忘形交 - a friend he would not stand on ceremony with. Sibling phrase to 忘年交 but about rank, not age.

Stroke Order

忘 wàng

形 xíng

交 jiāo