Definition

1. Noun:
   • Friendship of the closest kind: A classical, literary term denoting a profound and deeply bonded friendship, akin to sworn brotherhood or sisterhood. It implies a relationship built on mutual understanding, shared values, and unwavering loyalty, often considered as strong as familial ties.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Họ có một tình bạn thân thiết, đúng nghĩa bằng hữu chi giao. (They share a close friendship, truly a friendship of the closest kind.)
  • Tình cảm giữa họ vượt trên cả tình bạn thông thường, đó là bằng hữu chi giao. (The affection between them transcends ordinary friendship; it is a sworn friendship.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily used in formal, literary, or rhetorical contexts. It is not common in everyday spoken Vietnamese and carries a classical, almost poetic nuance.

Variants and Related Words

• Bằng hữu (n): friend(s); a more general, though still somewhat formal, term for friends.
  • Vòng bằng hữu của ông ấy rất rộng. (His circle of friends is very wide.)
• Chiến hữu (n): comrade-in-arms; a friend bonded through shared struggle or military service.
• Hữu nghị (n): friendship (often used for diplomatic or formal relations between groups or countries).

Synonyms

• Sworn friendship: A friendship formally affirmed by a pledge.
• Deep camaraderie: A spirit of close trust and goodwill among friends.
• Bosom friendship: A very close and intimate friendship.

Related Idioms

• Sống chết có nhau: (idiom) To stick together through life and death; to share both good and bad fortune. This idiom captures the depth of commitment implied by "bằng hữu chi giao."
  • Họ là bằng hữu chi giao, sống chết có nhau. (They are sworn friends, sticking together through life and death.)