竹马之友

see 竹馬之交|竹马之交[zhu2 ma3 zhi1 jiao1]

bamboo / CL:棵[ke1],支[zhi1],根[gen1] / Kangxi radical 118

bamboo stick used as a toy horse

surname Ma / abbr. for Malaysia 馬來西亞|马来西亚[Ma3 lai2 xi1 ya4]

horse / CL:匹[pi3] / horse or cavalry piece in Chinese chess / knight in Western chess

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]) / him / her / it

friend