一条心 (yī tiáo xīn) — to be of one mind; to share a common purpose; united in thought

Definition

A set phrase meaning everyone shares the same purpose and pulls together. Used for groups (family, team, country) acting in unity, not for two people agreeing.

noun
to be of one mindto share a common purposeunited in thought

Examples

  • 一条心，。
    Quán jiā rén yī tiáo xīn, yì qǐ dù guò le nán guān.
    The whole family was of one mind and got through the hard times together.
  • 一条心，。
    Zhǐ yào dà jiā yī tiáo xīn, jiù méi yǒu zuò bù chéng de shì.
    As long as everyone is united, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished.
  • 一条心，。
    Zhè ge tuán duì shàng xià yī tiáo xīn, zuì zhōng yíng dé le bǐ sài.
    The whole team was of one mind from top to bottom and finally won the competition.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 條; 条 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu條tiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 條 pairs 木, a small branch or stick, with 攸, which shows a person warned by a hand holding a stick, as a sound part; 条 is a later shortened shape.

Open 条 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

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