一衣带水

一衣帶水

yīyī-dàishuǐ

idiom

Meanings

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

Characters

Examples

中日两国一衣带水，交流频繁。

Zhōng Rì liǎng guó yīyī-dàishuǐ, 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 yīyī-dàishuǐ, 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 yīyī-dàishuǐ, xuèmài xiānglián.

The compatriots on both shores are separated by just a narrow strait and bound by blood.

Tips

history

From 《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