恰同学少年 (qià tóngxué shàonián): just as classmates in our youth…

Meanings

1 just as classmates in our youthful years - evoking young friends full of ideals and promise
2 literally: precisely (when we were) classmates in young-year time

Characters

恰

Examples

HSK 6

这部剧名叫《恰同学少年》，讲的是青年毛泽东的故事。

Zhè bù jù míngjiào 《 Qià Tóngxué Shàonián 》, jiǎng de shì qīngnián Máo Zédōng de gùshì.

The TV drama is called 'Just Classmates in Youth' - it tells the story of young Mao Zedong.

HSK 7-9

回想大学时代，恰同学少年，风华正茂。

Huíxiǎng dàxué shídài, qià tóngxué shàonián, fēnghuá-zhèngmào.

Thinking back to college days - just classmates in our youth, in the full bloom of our talent.

Tips

history

From Mao Zedong's 1925 ci 沁园春·长沙 (Spring in Qin Garden - Changsha). Opening passage: 恰同学少年，风华正茂 - 'Just as we were classmates in our youth, in the full flower of our talent.' Written at 32, recalling his student days in Changsha. 恰同学少年 is also the title of a celebrated 2007 CCTV drama.

usage

Paired couplet - quoted with 风华正茂. Nostalgic / inspirational register, used for reunion speeches, alumni pieces, and commemorations of young promise.

usage

少年 here reads shàonián (youth, the early-teens-to-twenties age), not shǎonián.

In Pop Culture

《恰同学少年》《 Qiàtóngxuéshàonián 》

Just Classmates in Youth

2007 CCTV historical drama about the young Mao Zedong and his circle at First Normal School of Hunan in Changsha. Major re-popularisation of the phrase among younger viewers.