Chinese idiom · 成语
布衣之交
Meaning
Friends in plain cloth; genuine, humble friendship.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical usage布衣 refers to the ordinary clothing associated with commoners rather than official rank. In the Shiji's biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru, Lin Xiangru tells the king of Qin that even friendships between common people should not involve deception, much less dealings between great states. The expression appears as a standard of trust used in diplomatic argument.
Later usages include friends made before achieving wealth or office, and friendships between a person of rank and an ordinary individual. It need not refer to one famous pair of poor friends. Its emphasis is a bond not dependent on titles or elevated social standing.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
他当了经理，仍常和这些布衣之交一起吃饭。
Even after becoming a manager, he still regularly eats with friends from his earlier, humbler days.
A literary expression for friendships formed outside the advantages of rank or wealth.