bǐ比side-by-sideyì翼wingshuāng双pairfēi飞fly
Wing to wing in pair-flight — a devoted couple inseparable in life.
Literal meaning
side-by-side (比) — wing (翼) — pair (双) — fly (飞)
Origin
A classical image from the legend of the 比翼鸟 (bǐyì niǎo) — mythical birds that each had only one wing, so could only fly when paired with their partner. Tang poet Bai Juyi's 《长恨歌》 made the phrase iconic in romance, paired with 连理枝 (intertwined branches).
Examples
Zhù祝nǐ你men们bǐ比yì翼shuāng双fēi飞，bái白tóu头xié偕lǎo老。
Wishing you two a life flown side by side, growing old together.
Tā他men们shì事yè业shàng上bǐ比yì翼shuāng双fēi飞。
They soar together in their careers.
Usage & nuances
Romantic, poetic. Standard wedding-card / anniversary blessing. Also extended (more rarely) to career partnerships.
Learn idioms by speaking them
Idioms are most useful when they land in a real conversation. Practice them out loud in Kango — get instant feedback on tone and timing.
Download Kango on iOS