视同陌路

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: shì tóng mò lù
• English Translation: To treat someone like a complete stranger
• Idiom Composition: 「视」（To regard, look upon, or treat as）＋「同」（Same as; like）＋「陌路」（A stranger met on the road (literally 'a path in the fields')）
• Meaning: To treat someone who was once close—such as a friend, lover, or relative—with cold indifference, as if they were a stranger encountered on the street. It describes a state where a relationship has completely cooled or been severed.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「视同陌路」 contains the following nuances:

• Pre-existing Relationship: This idiom is not used for people who were always strangers. It specifically implies a shift from intimacy or familiarity to total estrangement.
• Active Indifference: It emphasizes a psychological distance where parties might ignore or refuse to acknowledge each other even when meeting face-to-face, highlighting a cold attitude.

3. Usage

「视同陌路」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Breakdown of Relationships: Used to describe situations where friends who fought, divorced couples, or relatives in a dispute ignore each other entirely.
  • Example:「曾经无话不谈的好朋友，如今却因为误会而视同陌路。」
    （Once best friends who shared everything, they now treat each other like complete strangers due to a misunderstanding.）
• Declaration of Severance: Used to express a strong will to cut ties and have nothing more to do with someone.
  • Example:「既然已经分手了，以后我们就视同陌路吧。」
    （Since we have broken up, let's be like strangers to one another from now on.）

Additional Examples:

1. 为了争夺遗产，几兄弟反目成仇，视同陌路。
   （Over an inheritance dispute, the brothers turned against each other and became like total strangers.）
2. 虽然住在同一个小区，但邻居之间老死不相往来，视同陌路。
   （Despite living in the same complex, the neighbors never interact, behaving like complete strangers.）
3. 我不希望我们之间的友谊走到视同陌路的那一步。
   （I don't want our friendship to reach the point where we treat each other as strangers.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• The term 陌路 (mò lù) literally refers to a stranger passing by on a field path (陌). In Chinese culture, where 关系 (guānxì) or social connections are paramount, treating a former acquaintance as a 陌路 (mò lù) signifies a profound rejection or a total collapse of the social bond.
• Learners may also encounter the similar phrase 形同陌路 (xíng tóng mò lù). While 视同陌路 (shì tóng mò lù) emphasizes the subjective choice to 'regard' someone as a stranger, 形同陌路 (xíng tóng mò lù) focuses on the objective 'appearance' or state of the relationship having become like that of strangers.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 视若路人 (shì ruò lù rén): To regard someone as a mere passerby on the street; almost identical in meaning.
  • 恩断义绝 (ēn duàn yì jué): To sever all ties of gratitude and affection; a complete break in a relationship.link
  • 冷酷无情 (lěng kù wú qíng): To be cold-hearted and ruthless.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 亲密无间 (qīn mì wú jiàn): So close that there is no gap between them; extremely intimate.
  • 形影不离 (xíng yǐng bù lí): Inseparable as a body and its shadow; always together.link
  • 朝夕相处 (zhāo xī xiāng chǔ): To be together from morning till night.link

6. Summary

视同陌路 (shì tóng mò lù) describes the act of treating a formerly close acquaintance as a total stranger. It is typically used when a relationship has been irreparably damaged by conflict, betrayal, or misunderstanding. A common variation is 形同陌路 (xíng tóng mò lù).