合得来／合不来 hé de lái／hé bu lái

合得来／合不来（hé de lái／hé bu lái）means “to get along well / not get along (with someone)”. '合得来' describes two people whose personalities match so they get along, while '合不来' describes people who just don't click. Formation: 合得来／合不来（固定短语，跟/和…）

to get along well / not get along (with someone)

HSK5

Formation

合得来／合不来（固定短语，跟/和…）

Explanation

'合得来' describes two people whose personalities match so they get along, while '合不来' describes people who just don't click. It is a fixed potential-complement idiom about interpersonal compatibility. The other party is usually introduced by 跟 or 和.

Examples

我们很合得来。
wǒ men hěn hé de lái
We get along really well.
他跟同事合不来。
tā gēn tóng shì hé bu lái
He doesn't get along with his colleagues.

Note

Refers to compatibility of temperament, not a physical fit. Cf. 跟他合不来 (don't get along with him).

FAQ

合得来／合不来 — what does it mean and how is it used?

to get along well / not get along (with someone). '合得来' describes two people whose personalities match so they get along, while '合不来' describes people who just don't click. It is a fixed potential-complement idiom about interpersonal compatibility. The other party is usually introduced by 跟 or 和.

合得来／合不来 — how do you form it?

合得来／合不来（固定短语，跟/和…）

合得来／合不来 — any usage notes?

Refers to compatibility of temperament, not a physical fit. Cf. 跟他合不来 (don't get along with him).

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