Skip to content
xiāng 相 yī 依 wéi 为 mìng 命

相依为命 xiāng yī wéi mìng

to depend on each other for survival; to have only each other

Literally: mutually depend for life

Intermediate 🤝 Friendship & family
🃏 Practise intermediate chengyu

Tap a character above to see its stroke order and the words it appears in.

Origin

From Li Mi's Jin-dynasty 'Memorial Expressing My Feelings', in which he explains he cannot leave the grandmother who raised him because they rely on each other for life.

How to use it

Predicate; neutral, touching. Often 母子/祖孙相依为命.

Example sentences

Show:

Tap any word for its meaning and pinyin. The chengyu is highlighted.

  1. 父母去世后，他和奶奶相依为命。
    Fùmǔ qùshì hòu, tā hé nǎinai xiāng yī wéi mìng.
    After his parents died, he and his grandmother had only each other.
    parents pass-away after, he and grandma mutually depend for life
  2. 那位老人和一只老狗相依为命，住在山脚下。
    Nà wèi lǎorén hé yī zhī lǎo gǒu xiāng yī wéi mìng, zhù zài shānjiǎo xià.
    The old man and an old dog depend on each other, living at the foot of the mountain.
    that (measure) old-person and one (measure) old dog mutually depend for life, live at mountain-foot below

More chengyu about friendship & family

All friendship & family chengyu →