# 青梅竹马

qīng méi zhú mǎ

Childhood companions, often a future couple

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Green plums and a bamboo hobby horse

**Traditional Chinese:** 青梅竹馬

**Register:** Warm · literary

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Describe a pair who grew up together.

Usually a childhood bond, not recent acquaintance.

## Understanding the expression

Simple childhood play supplies the imagery: green fruit and a make believe horse suggest companionship before adult concerns arrive. Modern use often describes a boy and girl who grew up together and later became a couple. It can carry nostalgia and affection. The expression highlights a shared past, not a guarantee of lasting romance. Childhood friends may develop different lives while still keeping the warmth of those early years.

## Examples

他们青梅竹马，后来结婚了。

### Traditional Chinese

他們青梅竹馬，後來結婚了。

tā men qīng méi zhú mǎ ， hòu lái jié hūn le 。

They grew up together and later married.

小说讲了一对青梅竹马的故事。

### Traditional Chinese

小說講了一對青梅竹馬的故事。

xiǎo shuō jiǎng le yí duì qīng méi zhú mǎ de gù shì 。

The novel tells the story of childhood companions.

她与邻家男孩青梅竹马。

### Traditional Chinese

她與鄰家男孩青梅竹馬。

tā yǔ lín jiā nán hái qīng méi zhú mǎ 。

She and the boy next door grew up as close companions.

这对青梅竹马多年后重逢。

### Traditional Chinese

這對青梅竹馬多年後重逢。

zhè duì qīng méi zhú mǎ duō nián hòu chóng féng 。

These childhood companions reunited years later.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E9%9D%92%E6%A2%85%E7%AB%B9%E9%A6%AC)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=224&webMd=1&la=0)

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