← IDIOMS · FRIENDSHIP
HSK 7-9
liǎngtwoxiǎoyoungnocāisuspicion
Two children with no guardedness between them — innocent childhood companions.

Literal meaning

two (两) — young (小) — no (无) — suspicion (猜)

Origin

From Li Bai's poem 《长干行》: 同居长干里,两小无嫌猜 — describing a couple who grew up together as children with no suspicions or boundaries. The compressed four-character version became shorthand for childhood-friend bonds, especially ones that develop into romance later.

Examples

menliǎliǎngxiǎocāicóngxiǎozhǎng
Those two have been close since childhood — grew up together.
menshìliǎngxiǎocāideqīngméizhú
They're childhood sweethearts who've known each other from kid-hood.

Usage & nuances

Nostalgic, slightly literary. Especially common as a setup for childhood-romance narratives.

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