Chinese idiom · 成语
如影随形
Meaning
Like a shadow following the form; inseparable.
Character by character
Origin and story
Philosophical imageThe Liezi (列子), Shuofu chapter, uses a person and a shadow to explore dependence. Huqiu Zilin tells Liezi to look at his shadow: when his body bends, the shadow bends, and when he stands straight, it straightens. The change comes from the body, not from an independent decision by the shadow. An adjacent discussion compares words with echoes and conduct with the responses it brings.
The later four-character expression captures this close following. It can describe companions who are always together, but also an effect or unwelcome trouble that follows someone everywhere. The original philosophical comparison is wider than a sentimental story of friendship: it concerns the relationship between what happens first and what necessarily follows.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
弟弟刚养小狗时，小狗总和他如影随形，连倒杯水都要跟着。
When my brother first got his puppy, it followed him everywhere—even when he went to pour a glass of water.
Can describe inseparable company or a persistent consequence; it is not always positive.