金石契

jīnshíqì

idiom

Meanings

1 friendship as firm as metal and stone
2 an unshakable bond between friends

Characters

Examples

两人数十年如一日，真可谓金石契。

Liǎng rén shù shí nián rú yī rì, zhēn kě wèi jīnshíqì.

Decades together without change — their friendship is truly cast in metal and stone.

他在信中以金石契相许，誓不相负。

Tā zài xìn zhōng yǐ jīnshíqì xiāngxǔ, shì bù xiāng fù.

In the letter he pledged a bond of metal and stone, vowing never to betray it.

Tips

culture

金石 (metal and stone) is a classical shorthand for anything unchanging — metal doesn't rust away, stone doesn't wear down. 契 is a covenant. Literary, not used in casual speech.

Stroke Order

金 jīn

石 shí

契 qì