📖 Meaning
Describes the harmonious and affectionate relationship between brothers. It depicts siblings living together joyfully, treating each other with warmth and mutual respect. The idiom conveys the ideal of brotherly love and domestic concord.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase traces back to the Analects of Confucius (论语), in the chapter 'Zilu' (子路). Confucius taught that friends should earnestly urge each other toward self-improvement, while brothers should live together in harmony and joy (朋友切切偲偲，兄弟怡怡). The saying embodies the Confucian view that family harmony is the foundation of a well-ordered society. Over the centuries it has been used to praise households where siblings treat one another with affection and courtesy.
💡 Example Usage
他们兄弟怡怡，从未因家产起过争执。
The brothers live in perfect harmony and have never quarreled over the family estate.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 兄弟怡怡
- Pinyin: xiōng dì yí yí
- Literal Translation: brothers, harmonious, joyful
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4