148Japanese idiom 四字熟語
竹馬の友
ちくばのともChikuba no tomo
“Friends of the bamboo stilts.”
The meaning
Childhood friendships have a quality nothing replaces: they knew the person before the roles and titles. They are roots — worth watering.
At the origin
Takeuma, bamboo stilts, were a children's game; the phrase comes from a Chinese anecdote.
The characters
- 竹馬 chikubabamboo stilts
- の noof (link)
- 友
のParticleLinks two words: possession or belonging, like “of”.
In practice
Write to an old friend, for no reason but friendship.
Editorial note
Ancient Chinese origin.