← IDIOMS · FRIENDSHIP
HSK 7-9
notcontraryzhīofjiāofriend
Friends who never cross each other — bosom friends in perfect accord.

Literal meaning

not (莫) — contrary (逆) — of (之) — friend (交)

Origin

Zhuangzi (《庄子·大宗师》). Describes four men whose company felt so natural to each other that they became immediate, frictionless friends — 相视而笑,莫逆于心 ("they looked at each other, smiled, and there was no contrariness in their hearts"). The phrase distills Zhuangzi's vision of friendship at its ideal: not friendship as transaction or alliance, but as a meeting of minds where disagreement simply doesn't arise.

Examples

menliǎshìzhījiāoxiāngshíèrshíduōniánle
Those two are bosom friends — they've known each other over twenty years.
Zàigōngzuòshàngrènshiméixiǎngdàochénglezhījiāo
We met at work and unexpectedly ended up as the closest of friends.

Usage & nuances

Literary tone — appears more in writing than casual speech, but still understood widely. Carries a sense of long, tested friendship rather than instant chemistry.

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