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Words and Their StoriesLearning Expressions with VOA
Processed with VS1Learn natural ways to describe people who are inseparable, alike, supportive, or successful together.
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Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptThis episode explores several ways English speakers describe close relationships: people who spend nearly all their time together, share interests, or work well as a team. It then focuses on “power couple,” a label for partners whose individual achievements and partnership make them especially visible.
Cultural note: “Power couple” is usually used for a romantic pair who are each accomplished, often in public life, business, sports, or the arts; closeness alone is not enough. “Better half” is an affectionate, informal way to refer to one’s spouse or partner, while “sidekick” can cast someone as the secondary helper, so context and familiarity matter.
Keep exploringSome expressions praise how much two people have in common; others celebrate what they can accomplish together. Which one fits your situation?
Phrase guide · 8 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Describe people who spend a lot of time together or share an outlook.
Meaning
Almost always together or rarely seen apart.
Tone & use
Informal and often teasing or affectionate. It can also suggest that two people rely on each other so much that they have little independence.
Example
“Those two lab partners are practically joined at the hip; they even study in the same café every afternoon.”
Meaning
Very close and comfortable sharing things with each other.
Tone & use
Casual and usually warm or playful. The “thieves” image is figurative; it does not mean the people are actually criminals.
Example
“The two cousins became thick as thieves after spending one summer building a treehouse together.”
Meaning
Two people who are remarkably alike in personality, habits, or preferences.
Tone & use
Friendly and complimentary. It emphasizes similarity more than how often the people are together.
Example
“Nora and her brother are two peas in a pod—they both bring a book to every family gathering.”
Meaning
People who feel a natural connection because they share interests, values, or ways of thinking.
Tone & use
Warm and expressive. It can describe new acquaintances as well as longtime friends, and does not require them to agree about everything.
Example
“At the volunteer orientation, Mei and Jordan discovered they were kindred spirits over their love of community gardening.”
Talk about complementary strengths and the role someone plays beside another person.
Meaning
To have strengths or qualities that work especially well together.
Tone & use
Neutral and useful in both everyday and professional settings. “Complement” means to enhance one another; “compliment” means to praise.
Example
“Her eye for design and his engineering skills complement each other on the product team.”
Meaning
A speaker’s affectionate or humorous way of referring to their spouse or partner.
Tone & use
Informal and familiar, sometimes playfully old-fashioned. It is safest when referring to your own partner or when you know the other person uses the phrase.
Example
“I’m checking with my better half before we accept the dinner invitation.”
Meaning
A close companion or helper who often supports a more central person.
Tone & use
Informal and common in stories about heroes. As a nickname for a real person, it can sound playful, but it may also make them seem less important.
Example
“I brought my sidekick Priya to the trivia night—she remembers every movie quote.”
A label for partners who are accomplished in their own right and together.
Meaning
A couple whose partners are each successful or influential, with a partnership that draws notice.
Tone & use
Often used by media and in conversation about public figures, business, sports, or the arts. It is about combined visibility or achievement, not simply being a happy couple.
Example
“The award-winning chef and the bestselling novelist were described as a power couple at the charity gala.”
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