竹馬の友

Japanese

Kanji in this term
竹	馬	友
ちく Grade: 1	ば Grade: 2	とも Grade: 2
kan'on		kun'yomi

Etymology

From 竹馬 (chikuba, “bamboo horse; childhood”) +‎ の (no, attributive particle) +‎ 友 (tomo, “friend”). Cognate to Korean 죽마고우(竹馬故友) (jungmagou) and Chinese 竹馬之友 / 竹马之友 (zhúmǎzhīyǒu). Compare Chinese 青梅竹馬 / 青梅竹马 (qīngméizhúmǎ, “childhood sweethearts”, literally “green plums and bamboo horse”).

Noun

竹(ちく)馬(ば)の友(とも) • (chikuba no tomo) 

1. (literary) childhood friend

Synonyms

• 幼(おさな)なじみ (osananajimi)