qīng青greenméi梅plumzhú竹bamboomǎ马horse
Childhood sweethearts; a couple who grew up together.
Literal meaning
green (青) — plum (梅) — bamboo (竹) — horse (马)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase. It describes a boy and girl who played together as children, using green plums as toys and bamboo sticks as horses.
Examples
tā他men们liǎ俩shì是qīng青méi梅zhú竹mǎ马，cóng从xiǎo小yī一qǐ起zhǎng长dà大。
They are childhood sweethearts, having grown up together since they were little.
zhè这bù部diàn电yǐng影jiǎng讲shù述le了yī一duì对qīng青méi梅zhú竹mǎ马de的ài爱qíng情gù故shì事。
This movie tells the love story of a pair of childhood sweethearts.
Usage & nuances
Used to describe a close and innocent relationship that began in childhood.
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