noun
mutual dependence
Rare literary idiom describing a relationship of mutual reliance, like lips and teeth or cheek and jawbone. Also seen in the variant 唇歯輔車.
See also: 唇歯輔車
「輔車唇歯」は、互いに助け合う関係を表す故事成語だ。
「輔車唇歯」 is a classical idiom expressing a relationship of mutual support.
Derived from classical Chinese, combining 輔 (cheekbone/jawbone) and 車 (cart/carriage) with 唇 (lips) and 歯 (teeth) to illustrate inseparable mutual reliance. The exact historical origin is uncertain.