Daily Chengyu

唇亡齿寒

chún wáng chí hán

Interdependent fates; if one falls, the other suffers.

WisdomBusinessFriendshipAncient China
intermediateCommonFormal

Literal Meaning: When lips are gone, teeth feel cold.

唇chúnlips
亡wángperish
齿chǐteeth
寒háncold

Today's Situation

Two startups share infrastructure — if one collapses, both fail.

Perfect Chengyu: 唇亡齿寒

Actual Meaning

Warns that allied parties share risk — undermining a partner may destroy yourself too.

Emotional toneSerious, cautionary
Usage feelNeutral in tone
FormalityFormal

English Equivalent

  • In the same boat.
  • Interdependent.
  • If they go down, we go down.

English equivalents capture the general idea, but they may not fit every context exactly.

Modern Usage Example

Our supply chains are 唇亡齿寒 — we must support key partners.

Chinese Example Sentences

两国唇亡齿寒，应该合作。

Liǎng guó chún wáng chí hán, yīnggāi hézuò.

The two countries are interdependent — they should cooperate.

唇亡齿寒，要互相依靠。

Chún wáng chí hán, yào hùxiāng yīkào.

We depend on each other — like lips and teeth.

Origin Story

A minister warned a ruler that destroying a neighboring state would expose his own kingdom — lips protect teeth.

Spring and Autumn periodZuo Tradition (左传)

When Natives Use It

Good fit

  • Alliances
  • Business partnerships
  • International relations

Avoid

    Formal and serious. Common in geopolitics essays.

    • Common in speech
    • Common in writing
    • Sounds natural today
    • Possible but uncommon in casual chat
    • More common in writing or commentary
    • Use with care — can sound critical

    Similar and Opposite Chengyu

    Opposite meaning

    隔岸观火

    gé àn guān huǒ

    Watch from sidelines.

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