息息相关
*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.
Have you ever wondered where the air we breathe every day comes from?
Where does the carbon dioxide we exhale go?
Actually, the oxygen we breathe comes from plants. Plants perform photosynthesis using sunlight and release oxygen; meanwhile, the carbon dioxide we exhale is absorbed by plants, helping them grow.
Humans and plants are closely connected in this way. We use an idiom to describe this relationship: "closely connected."
The meaning of "closely connected" is that two things have a very close relationship, like breathing—inhale and exhale—mutually influencing and depending on each other.
This idiom first appeared over a hundred years ago in an article by a Chinese scholar named Yan Fu.
He said that what each person does affects others, just like breathing, which is connected.
Since then, "closely connected" has been used to express very close relationships.
In our lives today, examples of things being "closely connected" are everywhere.
For example, environmental protection is closely connected to our health. If the air is polluted, our bodies will be affected; also, the economies of countries around the world are closely connected. If one country's economy has problems, it can quickly affect other countries.
"Closely connected" tells us that things in the world do not exist independently but are interconnected.
Therefore, whatever we do, we should consider the possible impact it may have.
Have you noticed anything in your life that is closely connected to you?
Pay more attention, and you might discover more interesting things.
1. Basic Information
- Pinyin: xī xī xiāng guān
- English Translation: Closely related, inseparably connected
- Idiom Composition: 「息」（Breath, respiration）＋「息」（Breath, respiration）＋「相」（Mutually, each other）＋「关」（To relate, to be connected）
- Meaning: Describes a state of being closely connected and deeply related to each other, like breathing together. It refers to two things that are inseparably linked, where one affects the other.
2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances
「息息相关」 contains the following nuances:
- Close connection: Indicates that two things are very closely related and mutually dependent.
- Mutual dependence: Shows a relationship of mutual dependence where one cannot exist without the other.
- Indivisibility: Emphasizes that two things are so deeply connected that they cannot be separated.
- Community of shared destiny: Implies a relationship like a single living entity sharing a common fate.
3. Usage
「息息相关」 is mainly used in the following contexts:
- Explaining relationships: Used to explain the close relationship between two things.
- Example:「经济发展与环境保护息息相关。」
（Economic development and environmental protection are closely related.）
- Example:「经济发展与环境保护息息相关。」
- Emphasizing importance: Used to emphasize that one element is very important to another.
- Example:「教育改革与国家未来息息相关。」
（Educational reform is closely connected to the country's future.）
- Example:「教育改革与国家未来息息相关。」
- Expressing a community of shared destiny: Expresses that multiple elements share a relationship like a community of shared destiny.
- Example:「我们的命运与公司的发展息息相关。」
（Our fate is closely linked to the company's development.）
- Example:「我们的命运与公司的发展息息相关。」
Additional Examples:
- 个人健康与饮食习惯息息相关。
（Personal health is closely related to dietary habits.） - 农作物的收成与天气变化息息相关。
（Crop yields are closely connected to weather changes.） - 员工的积极性与公司的福利待遇息息相关。
（Employee motivation is closely related to company benefits.） - 房价的涨跌与政府的调控政策息息相关。
（Housing price fluctuations are closely linked to government regulation policies.） - 科技的进步与人类的生活质量息息相关。
（Technological progress is closely connected to the quality of human life.）
4. Cultural Background and Notes
- The concept of 'Unity of Heaven and Man': This traditional Chinese philosophy emphasizes the close and harmonious relationship between humans and nature. The idiom '息息相关' reflects this idea of interconnectedness.
- Emphasis on mutual dependence: Chinese culture tends to value groups and relationships over individuals. '息息相关' expresses this cultural value of interdependence.
5. Similar and Opposite Idioms
- Similar Idioms:
- 休戚相关 (xiū qī xiāng guān): Sharing joys and sorrows, happiness and misfortune; being a community of shared destiny.
- 唇齿相依 (chún chǐ xiāng yī): Mutually dependent like lips and teeth.
- Opposite Idioms:
- 漠不相关 (mò bù xiāng guān): Completely unrelated, having no connection.
6. Summary
'息息相关' is an idiom that expresses a deep connection beyond mere relation, describing a bond so close it can be called a community of shared destiny. Understanding the Chinese cultural values of 'Unity of Heaven and Man' and mutual dependence can help convey its deeper meaning when using this expression.